Mary-Louise Hoffman
Aerojet Rocketdyne has completed a full-scale static test of solid rocket motor technology built for a ground-launched hypersonic system the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is developing to help military personnel engage time-sensitive targets.
DARPA said Monday the company’s second stage propulsion system for the Operational Fires program met the thrust termination objective of the firing demonstration held at the U.S. Army’s Redstone Test Center in Alabama.
The engine manufacturer conducted the static firing test as part of its OpsFires Phase 2 contract and after a series of earlier tests that involved booster and subscale propulsion systems.
Aerojet employed digital engineering and analysis tools to generate motor performance forecasts and the company will use the data to complete the booster design for Phase 3b of the missile system, DARPA noted.
The agency selected Lockheed Martin to lead integration work for the program’s third phase.
Phase 3 focuses on maturation of the booster, development of the missile launcher platform and integration of the hypersonic vehicle.
