The engine fired for approximately 90 seconds, producing almost 449,000 pounds of thrust.
WASHINGTON – Northrop Grumman announced on January 21 that it completed a static shot of the solid booster developed for the new United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur rocket.
The fire test for the extended 63-inch epoxy graphite engine (GEM 63XL) took place on Thursday at the company’s facility in Promontory, Utah.
Northrop Grumman in August completed the first GEM 63XL soil test. The engine in August fired at a cold temperature in a qualifying test. This last test was at high temperature to validate the engine for the flight.
In the January 21 static test, the engine fired for approximately 90 seconds, producing nearly 449,000 pounds of thrust to validate the engine’s performance capability, the company said. The firing also checked the internal insulation of the engine, ballistics of propellant grains and nozzle at high temperatures.
The GEM 63XL version is 72 feet long, while the GEM 63 engines used by ULA on its Atlas 5 rocket are 66 feet long. GEM 63XL engines are expected to fly on the Vulcan Centaur rocket on its first launch later this year.