OmegA on track to support certification launch in 2021
During the test, the second stage motor fired for full-duration, approximately 140 seconds, burning nearly 340,000 pounds of solid propellant to produce upwards of 785,000 pounds of thrust.
The test verified the motor's ballistics and thermal performance as well as steering control and performance in a cold-conditioned environment. The test team collected more than 500 channels of data to aid in verifying the motor.
"Northrop Grumman designed OmegA to use the most reliable propulsion available to ensure exceptional mission assurance for our customers," said Charlie Precourt, vice president, propulsion systems, Northrop Grumman. "The firing is a significant accomplishment that demonstrates a domestic solution for the RD-180 rocket engine replacement."
In October 2018, the U.S. Air Force awarded Northrop Grumman a $792 million Launch Services Agreement to complete detailed design and verification of the OmegA space launch vehicle and launch sites.
The cold test, in conjunction with the successful hot static fire in May 2019, subjected OmegA's motors to the most extreme propellant temperatures the rocket will experience during storage, transport, stacking and launch.
Northrop Grumman has leveraged its flight proven technologies and extensive experience launching critical payloads in the development of the OmegA launch system. The rocket was designed to accommodate national security payloads while also serving the civil and commercial markets.
In preparation for OmegA's inaugural flight, Northrop Grumman now occupies High Bay 2 as the first commercial tenant in NASA's historic Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center. Construction crews are currently modifying Mobile Launch Platform-3 to serve as OmegA's assembly and launch platform at Pad 39B.
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