Northrop Preps OmegA Rocket for First Ground Test Stage

Northrop Grumman has begun preparations for the OmegA launch vehicle’s static fire test on May 30 in preparation for the rocket’s first launch slated for 2021.

OmegA is designed to support the U.S. Air Force’s national security missions and carry payload for other non-military customers, Northrop said Monday.

Technicians at the company’s Promontory, Utah location finished putting together the rocket’s 80-foot first stage and will continue installing instrumentation that will record vibration, thrust and burn rate data in the lead-up to the static test.

“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,” Scott Lehr, vice president and general manager of Northrop’s flight systems division.

The Northrop team will evaluate recorded data and make necessary hardware adjustments for six months after the static test before ensuring flight qualifications through a post-assessment verdict.