ATK [ATK] successfully completed its solid rocket booster preliminary design review (PDR) with NASA for the new Space Launch System (SLS), indicating the booster design is on track to support the first SLS flight in 2017, according to a company statement.
With the successful completion of the PDR, which ATK spokeswoman Kay Anderson said yesterday started with a Jan. 4 “data drop” and wrapped up April 3, the SLS booster design can now proceed with the associated activities required to advance the design toward a critical design review (CDR). Anderson said these activities include the second design analysis cycle and incorporating any resulting component and/or system level design modifications to ensure the design that will be used for the qualification effort will meet NASA requirements.
Anderson said these associated activities teams (avionics, flight safety, motor, pyrotechnics, to name a few) work in parallel, but they do complete component design work prior to sub-system designs, which precede system level design. Anderson said at this time, each of those areas are at different levels of maturity and are progressing at a pace that permits the assembly level design to be completed in time for CDR.
Anderson said a ground static firing, or “hot fire test” of qualification motor-1, is planned for the fourth quarter of 2013. Anderson also said ATK is aiming to begin CDR in summer 2014. The SLS vehicle will support NASA’s human spaceflight exploration to all destinations beyond low-Earth orbit (LEO), which include an asteroid and Mars. The SLS 2017 launch goal will be sending an uncrewed Orion spacecraft around the moon.