Orbital ATK next-generation launch vehicle

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https://news.northropgrumman.com/news/releases/stories-20181010

Northrop Grumman Awarded $792 Million Launch Services Agreement from US Air Force

OmegA rocket on schedule to provide first launch in 2021
 October 10, 2018

DULLES, Va. – Oct 10, 2018 – Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) received a Launch Services Agreement (LSA) worth approximately $792 million of government investment from the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center to continue development of its OmegATM rocket for the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program. The agreement runs through 2024 and includes certification flights of OmegA's intermediate variant in 2021 and its heavy variant in 2024.

OmegA will provide intermediate - to heavy-class launch services for the Department of Defense, civil government and commercial customers. With major propulsion and structural elements of OmegA already complete, Northrop Grumman is on schedule to complete propulsion system ground tests in 2019 and conduct its first launch in 2021.

Спойлер

Artist concept of Northrop Grumman's OmegA Rocket.

"We are pleased to receive this follow-on award from the Air Force," said Scott Lehr, president, flight systems, Northrop Grumman. "Our new OmegA rocket leverages technologies, capabilities and flight experience gained from decades of successful rocket launches, making it an affordable and reliable choice for national security missions."

Over the last three years, Northrop Grumman and the U.S. Air Force have together invested more than $300 million in developing the OmegA rocket.

The rocket configuration consists of first and second solid rocket stages and strap-on solid boosters manufactured by Northrop Grumman, and a cryogenic liquid upper stage powered by Aerojet Rocketdyne's RL10C engine.

After initial flights of its intermediate configuration in 2021, OmegA will be certified for operational EELV missions starting in 2022 with initial heavy configuration flights beginning in 2024.

Northrop Grumman has a long history of launching critical payloads for the Department of Defense, NASA and other customers with the company's Pegasus®, Minotaur and AntaresTM launch vehicles as well as a wide array of strategic missile interceptors and targets in support of critical national security launch programs.

The company's development team is working on the program in Arizona, Utah, Mississippi and Louisiana, with launch integration and operations planned at Kennedy Space Center in Florida and Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The program will also support hundreds of jobs across the country in its supply chain.

Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in autonomous systems, cyber, C4ISR, space, strike, and logistics and modernization to customers worldwide. Please visit news.northropgrumman.com and follow us on Twitter, @NGCNews, for more information.

OmegA solid rocket motors being prepared for static test firing at Northrop Grumman's facility in Promontory, Utah.

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Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight 8 мин. назад

FEATURE ARTICLE:
NGIS highlights advantages of their Air Force contract win with OmegA -

https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2018/10/ngis-highlights-air-force-contract-win-omega/ ...

- By Chris Gebhardt (@ChrisG_NSF) speaking with NGIS (@northropgrumman)

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Northrop Grumman @northropgrumman · 18 ч

As we prep for the full-scale test fire of the #OmegaRocket's first stage in Promontory, Utah, two steel spacer rings, used to create a secure fit in the test stand, are coming together in the test facility to accommodate the powerful solid rocket motors.
#NorthropGrumman

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Northrop Grumman‏Подлинная учетная запись @northropgrumman 14 мар.

Special delivery! The forward and aft segments of the #OmegArocket's first stage, measuring over 80 ft long, arrive at our test area in Promontory, Utah for assembly in preparation for the full-scale test fire later this spring. #NorthropGrumman

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Northrop Grumman‏Подлинная учетная запись @northropgrumman 1 апр.

It's test week! This Thursday, April 4 we will perform the second static test fire of our #GEM63 motor at our Promontory, Utah facility. These motors support @ulalaunch's #AtlasV rocket, giving the rocket an extra boost to deliver payloads to orbit. More: http://bit.ly/2Qc5hr6 

http://bit.ly/2Qc5hr6 --> http://www.northropgrumman.com/Capabilities/RocketTest/Pages/default.aspx

Second Ground Test of GEM 63 Rocket Motor

Northrop Grumman will conduct its second qualification test of its 63-inch diameter Graphite Epoxy Motor (GEM 63) in Promontory, Utah. The company developed this new side-mounted rocket motor to add power to the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V launch vehicle. The maximum thrust of the GEM 63 is 373,000 pounds or roughly the equivalent of nine F-35 fighter jets.

What: Ground test firing of GEM 63 rocket motor

When: Thursday, April 4, 1:00 p.m. MDT

Where: Northrop Grumman facility in Promontory, Utah

19:00 UTC 04.04.2019

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GEM 63 Fact Sheet - 534.7 KB, 2 стр, 2019-03-06 19:05:25 UTC

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Northrop Grumman‏Подлинная учетная запись @northropgrumman 11 мин. назад

We're ready! Our #GEM63 motor is poised in the test bay as we prepare for the test fire in just 30 minutes. #NorthropGrumman

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NG Graphite Epoxy Motor 63 test (GEM 63 QM-2)

SciNews

Опубликовано: 4 апр. 2019 г.

Northrop Grumman Corporation conducted the second qualification test (QM-2) of its 63-inch diameter Graphite Epoxy Motor (GEM 63) in Promontory, Utah, on 4 April 2019. The test was designed to validate the ballistic performance of the motor, such as pressure and thrust. The GEM 63 motor will be used as a direct replacement of the previous strap-on boosters on ULA's Atlas V rocket beginning in July 2019 with the Space Test Program (STP)-3 mission that will use five boosters.

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Northrop Grumman‏Подлинная учетная запись @northropgrumman 11 мин. назад

First look at this afternoon's test fire of our #GEM63 motor designed to help power @ulalaunch's #AtlasV. Stay tuned for more images and video! #NorthropGrumman

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GEM 63 Static Test

Northrop Grumman

Опубликовано: 4 апр. 2019 г.

On April 4, Northrop Grumman successfully tested the GEM 63 motor for United Launch Alliance's Atlas V rocket. Today's test satisfies additional requirements for certification by the U.S. Air Force. The first launch using GEM 63 motors will take place in 2020.

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https://news.northropgrumman.com/news/releases/northrop-grumman-successfully-completes-second-ground-test-of-new-rocket-motor-for-united-launch-alliance-atlas-v

Northrop Grumman Successfully Completes Second Ground Test of New Rocket Motor for United Launch Alliance Atlas V

Northrop Grumman Successfully Completes Second Ground Test of New Rocket Motor for United Launch Alliance Atlas V

April 04, 2019

Dulles, Va. – April 4, 2019 – Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) conducted its second ground test of a 63-inch diameter Graphite Epoxy Motor (GEM 63) today in Promontory, Utah. The company developed this new side-mounted rocket motor to add power to the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V launch vehicle.

Northrop Grumman conducted the second ground test of its newly-developed GEM 63 rocket motor April 4, 2019, in Promontory, Utah. The GEM 63 will fly on United Launch Alliance's Atlas V launch vehicle starting next year.

The maximum thrust of the GEM 63 is 373,000 pounds or roughly the equivalent of five B-2 Spirit bombers. Up to five GEM 63 motors can support a single Atlas V launch.

"The Northrop Grumman team developed the GEM 63 motor in just three years, an impressive accomplishment for such a complex drop-in solution to an existing launch vehicle," said Charlie Precourt, vice president, propulsion systems, Northrop Grumman.

The GEM 63 team developed the motor under a cooperative development program with ULA. Northrop Grumman has been supplying solid propulsion motors for a variety of launch vehicles since 1964 and is ULA's largest legacy supplier of solid propulsion. Northrop Grumman's expertise in solid rocket boosters combined with ULA's history of reliability results in a strong partnership that guarantees assured access to space for national security.

"This test is an important step in the development of these new boosters for the Atlas V launch vehicle and we thank Northrop Grumman for the continued partnership and outstanding teamwork," said Tory Bruno, ULA's president and CEO. "By flying key hardware first on our Atlas V rocket prior to flying it on our Vulcan Centaur rocket, it provides increased confidence for the first flight of our new rocket in 2021."

The first ground test, conducted in September 2018, qualified the motor for use as a strap-on booster for the Atlas V. Today's test satisfies additional requirements for certification by the U.S. Air Force. The first launch using GEM 63 motors will take place in 2020.

In addition to the GEM 63 motor, Northrop Grumman is also developing a GEM 63XL motor for ULA's Vulcan Centaur rocket. Both versions of the GEM 63 family use common materials and processes to maintain a high-reliability, low-cost product. The first GEM 63XL case, which is the longest non-segmented, monolithic case ever manufactured, has already been wound at a new facility in Clearfield, Utah, and is currently in the structural qualification process.

Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in autonomous systems, cyber, C4ISR, space, strike, and logistics and modernization to customers worldwide. Please visit news.northropgrumman.com and follow us on Twitter, @NGCNews, for more information.

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https://spacenews.com/for-omega-u-s-air-force-launch-competition-is-a-must-win/

For OmegA, U.S. Air Force launch competition is a must-win
by Sandra Erwin — April 8, 2019


Kent Rominger, vice president of Northrop Grumman strategic programs, left, studies an Antares composite fairing like those Northrop Grumman will manufacture for OmegA at the company's Iuka, Mississippi, facility. Credit: Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems

One of the big headlines of last year's Space Symposium was Orbital ATK's unveiling of a new rocket designed to challenge incumbents United Launch Alliance and SpaceX for future U.S. Air Force launch contracts.

Dubbed OmegA, the vehicle had been secretly in the works for three years under the generic name "Next Generation Launch System." The solid-propulsion OmegA was dreamed up by Orbital ATK before the company was acquired by Northrop Grumman. The reveal at the 34th Space Symposium happened just a few months before the acquisition of Orbital ATK was completed.

OmegA's chances of becoming a credible player in the National Security Space Launch program (NSSL) — formerly known as the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program— got a boost in October when the Air Force awarded Northrop Grumman a $792 million Launch Service Agreement to share the cost of developing OmegA to carry military satellites.

Launch Service Agreement (LSA) funding — also awarded to competitors United Launch Alliance and Blue Origin — is to be spread over five years to help the companies pay for the infrastructure and vehicle modifications that would be required for Air Force certification to fly national security missions.

In the second phase of LSA, called the Launch Service Procurement, the Air Force plans to sel ect two providers in 2020 to split 60/40 up to 25 launches over five years starting in 2022.

The stakes could not be higher for OmegA as it prepares for two critical static-fire tests of its solid rocket motors this year with the goal to launch its first payload in 2021.

Former NASA astronaut Kent Rominger is Northrop Grumman's vice president for strategic programs. He spoke with SpaceNews about OmegA and its prospects.

What's happened since you unveiled OmegA year ago?

We have been defining the details. Four years ago, when we talked to the Air Force about our plans and our schedule, we told them we would do the first static test fire in the second quarter of 2019. It's on track for late May, and it is going to be exciting. In the solid rocket motor world, that is a qualifying test. OmegA has two solid boost stages and a cryogenic liquid upper stage powered by the Aerojet Rocketdyne RL10C engine. The May test is for the first stage. The static fire of the second stage is scheduled for August. We are pleased that we are holding our schedule.


The two solid rocket motors comprising the first stage of OmegA recently arrived at Northrop Grumman's test stand in Promontory, Utah. Technicians are attaching instrumentation gauges and data recorders in preparation for the full-scale static test will qualify the OmegA first stage for spaceflight. Credit: Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems

How is Northrop Grumman preparing for these critical tests?

The completed OmegA first stage, which is more than 3.5 meters in diameter and nearly 24 meters long, is currently in the test stand where technicians are attaching instrumentation gauges and data recorders. During the static test, we will measure key characteristics such as thrust, pressure, strain, temperature, vibration and burn rate to validate expected performance. This stage will demonstrate more than two million pounds of thrust.

Do you still plan to develop a heavy configuration?

Yes. The first OmegA model will be an intermediate-class rocket that will fly payloads that currently use the Atlas 5 or the Falcon 9. Our intermediate variant is on track for first launch in 2021 and the heavy variant in 2024. The Air Force requires NSSL competitors to fly to nine reference orbits. Our intermediate rocket can reach seven of the nine. We need the heavy version to reach the other two.

Does being the only competitor with a solid rocket give you an advantage?

I believe so. The Air Force wants a diverse industrial base. Before the LSA award, Northrop Grumman and the Air Force already had invested more than $300 million in developing OmegA. They don't want a launch monopoly any more. They also want to ensure they have reliable service to get national security payloads to orbit. OmegA was engineered with simple solid boosters and a proven upper stage with the RL-10 engine. We designed it for national security payloads to give them a benign, gentle ride. We maintain that the ideal rocket equation is solid on boost and a very efficient liquid engine upper stage where you don't care so much about the thrust levels.

What else do you think might give you an advantage in the NSSL competition?

OmegA is different because of Northrop Grumman. If you look at the field of Launch Service Procurement competitors. we are the only company that isn't just a rocket company. Our whole focus is national security, and certainly national security space. We are a dedicated government partner. Because of our production base and existing infrastructure, we could go down to a very low rate and still be successful, and we would keep our workforce employed across multiple programs. That is our biggest strength in this competition — being a big aerospace company dedicated to national security, we will be there no matter what.

That said, what happens to OmegA if you don't win a Launch Service Procurement award?

If we don't win LSP, we're evaluating what we would do with OmegA. We're watching those commercial markets to help determine that. I don't have a definitive answer for you today. Depending on the outlook and other factors, we could easily decide to press on with OmegA. But there is a chance, too, depending on what we see, that we would decide at the time to not continue, or maybe put it on the shelf.

As a former NASA astronaut and veteran of the space shuttle, how do you feel about efforts by SpaceX and Boeing to bring back human spaceflight to the United States?

If we had had OmegA along sooner, we would have loved to have lifted either one of the capsules. The reliability of our system lends itself to human spaceflight. As a former NASA astronaut, I am pulling for the commercial crew folks to be very successful and get our astronauts into space fr om U.S. soil as soon as possible.

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Источник - 

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Northrop Grumman‏Подлинная учетная запись @northropgrumman 1 ч. назад

#DYK On May 30 we will be testing the first stage of our #OmegArocket for @USAirForce @AF_SMC?
Stay tuned to our social accounts for updates, and visit our website here for more info:
http://ms.spr.ly/6012THsgs 
#NorthropGrumman

http://www.northropgrumman.com/Capabilities/RocketTest/Pages/default.aspx

Rocket Test



Ground Test of OmegA™ First Stage

Northrop Grumman will conduct a full-scale static fire test of the first stage of OmegA, the company's new intermediate/heavy-class rocket for national security missions, in Promontory, Utah. More than 12 feet in diameter and 80 feet long, the OmegA first stage will fire for 122 seconds and produce more than two million pounds of thrust.

What: Full-scale test of OmegA first stage

When: Thursday, May 30, 2019; 1:05 p.m. MDT

Where: Northrop Grumman facility in Promontory, Utah

19:05 UTC 30.05.2019

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https://news.northropgrumman.com/news/features/preparing-for-the-omega-rocket-how-to-do-a-static-test

Preparing for the OmegA Rocket: How to do a Static Test

By Kendra Kastelan • May 20, 2019

Tucked into the hillside off a quiet Utah highway, bunker-like buildings go relatively unnoticed among the brush. Deep inside one of these shed-like structures rests the work of dozens of the country's best rocket scientists. Soon, years of development and dedication will culminate in a ten-second countdown and a smoke plume, but following this qualification test the opportunities are vast.

Recently, a team of technicians in Promontory, Utah, artfully manipulated the first stage of Northrop Grumman's OmegA rocket into its final configuration using multiple cranes and other large tooling. After assembly, the 12-foot-diameter and 80-foot-long stage rests on supports, wiring spilling from its forward end and leading to data collection points carefully located based on precise measurements.

Northrop Grumman is building OmegA to launch intermediate to heavy national security payloads for the U.S. Air Force, as well as science and commercial payloads for other customers. Solid rocket motors with lightweight composite cases power the first and second stages. In a few weeks, the company will perform its first full-scale static test of the first stage, the bottom and most powerful portion of the rocket's propulsion.

When talking to Scott Lehr, vice president and general manager of Northrop Grumman's flight systems division, it is immediately clear he is proud of the work going on at Promontory. "This first stage ground test is a major milestone. Three and a half years ago we said we would accomplish this test in the spring of 2019, and that is exactly what we are going to do. In the National Security market, schedule is everything," he said.

In the remaining days leading up to the static test, currently scheduled for May 30, 2019, technicians will finish attaching instrumentation gauges and data recorders that will measure key characteristics such as thrust, vibration and burn rate. Then they will practice conducting the test, running through and repeating each step of the countdown multiple times. Performing these simulations ensures the team members have all the test systems calibrated and functioning properly.

"Every countdown step is critical and has to be performed with perfection," says Jamie Barney, director of test and research operations, propulsion systems, Northrop Grumman. "We have an extremely experienced team, but no one here is ever complacent about a rocket test."

On test day, the entire test bay will roll back to expose the first stage motor attached to three "spacer" segments totaling 177 feet of white casing. When the countdown clock reaches zero, the igniter, housed in the forward segment, will rapidly ignite and pressurize the entire motor.

The motor will continue to burn for approximately two minutes, producing more than two million pounds of thrust channeled through a vectorable nozzle. During the test, 30 to 40 technicians and engineers will line the control room, closely monitoring the sensors, instrumentation, and cameras on and around the motor. They will collect approximately 700 data channels, gauging everything from case growth to component stresses to motor pressure to temperatures – all essential data to qualify this motor for flight.

"The first stage rocket motor is the heart of the OmegA vehicle," says Paul Messer, OmegA first and second stage motor program manager, Northrop Grumman. "With the critical data from the static fire test, and the post-test inspections, we can qualify our products and ensure their reliability to our customers."

For about six months after the test, the team will assess the data and disassemble, evaluate and dissect the hardware to observe the effects of motor operation. A post-assessment verdict of reliability across all systems will qualify the motor for flight.

"Successfully completing the full-scale static test later this month will be a significant milestone," says Kevin Wilder, OmegA deputy program director, Northrop Grumman. "Everyone on the team is personally invested in this program, and we are all looking forward to OmegA's first launch in 2021."

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Northrop Grumman‏Подлинная учетная запись @northropgrumman 58 мин. назад

Final preparations are underway as we get ready for next week's static test-fire of our #OmegArocket first stage motor! In partnership with @usairforce and @AF_SMC, we are developing this rocket to support vital national security missions. #NorthropGrumman

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Northrop Grumman‏Подлинная учетная запись @northropgrumman 18 ч. назад

Don't forget to tune in tomorrow and watch the test fire of our #OmegArocket first stage motor live from Utah! We'll be live at 12:45 pm MDT/2:45 pm EDT, with the test planned for 1:05 pm MDT/3:05 pm EDT.
http://www.northropgrumman.com/OmegA  #NorthropGrumman @AF_SMC @usairforce @AP_Planner

18:45/19:05 UTC, 21:45/22:05 ДМВ

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Northrop Grumman‏Подлинная учетная запись @northropgrumman 26 мин. назад

In just a few hours we will test-fire the first stage motor for our #OmegArocket! Meet part of the team now, and tune in to our website at 12:45 p.m. MDT/2:45 p.m. EDT to watch coverage of the test live:

http://www.northropgrumman.com/OmegA 

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NG будет вести трансляцию прожига на ТыТрубе:

OmegA Milestone: First Stage Static Test Fire

Northrop Grumman

Запланировано на 30 мая 2019 г.

Watch the first #OmegArocket first stage motor static test fire LIVE. Join us on May 30 at 12:45 p.m. MDT/2:45 p.m. EDT as we talk to our engineers live about the development of this motor and what we can expect to see during the test fire. The test, scheduled for 1:05 p.m. MDT/3:05 p.m. EDT will validate the ballistic performance, design and product robustness of the motor.

Tune back in at 2:05 p.m. MDT/4:05 EDT for our live press conference from Promontory, Utah. Learn more at www.northropgrumman.com/OmegA.

youtube.com/watch?v=8MTM-ANa7FI

18:45/19:05 UTC, 21:45/22:05 ДМВ
Пресс брифинг примерно через час после планируемого начала испытания.

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Northrop Grumman‏Подлинная учетная запись @northropgrumman 27 мин. назад

Catch a glimpse behind the scenes at our Promontory, Utah facility as we count down to this afternoon's test of our #OmegArocket first stage! The test fire will begin at 1:05 pm MT/3:05 pm ET, with live coverage beginning 20 minutes prior: http://www.northropgrumman.com/OmegA  #NorthropGrumman