2,500 solid rocket motors tested at AEDC

  • Published
  • By Deidre Ortiz
  • AEDC/PA
ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, TENN. --  With the recent Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) test at the J-6 Large Rocket Motor Test Facility, the 2,500th solid rocket motor has been tested at AEDC.

Joe Migliaccio, Aerospace Testing Alliance (ATA) Lead Rocket Propulsion Test Operations, stated this achievement is worth noting.

"It is exciting to reach new milestones for numbers of solid rocket motors tested at AEDC," he said. "AEDC's first altitude test of a solid rocket motor occurred in 1958. It happened in AEDC's T4 test cell and it is believed to be the first full-scale solid rocket motor tested at altitude conditions anywhere in the United States."

Migliaccio added that through the years AEDC has played a major role in the development of the Minuteman and Peacekeeper solid rocket motor ICBMs for the U.S. Air Force.

"AEDC was uniquely qualified for the task because it has test cells large enough to accommodate these full scale ICBM rocket motor stages and provide a stable altitude environment before, during and after the full rocket motor burn time," he said. "This stable altitude environment is possible because AEDC rocket test cells are connected to the large Engine Test Facility exhaust plant compressors. Other test facilities [elsewhere] do not have these large compressors."

Randy Quinn, AEDC test manager, stated that Minuteman, a land-based missile component of America's three-part nuclear defense, is one of the programs that AEDC has been involved in since its beginning.

"We test one motor of each Minuteman second and third stage annually," he said.

Quinn explained that as part of the test, the team checks performance requirements of the motor to evaluate the thrust, thrust termination, impulse and other specifications.

"We make sure that it's performing within the requirements," he said.

A database has been established at AEDC to compare aging motor test data to production test data to ensure requirements are correct.

In addition to the Minuteman program, Star motor variants, Peacekeeper Stage 2 and Stage 3, Small ICBM motors, Orbus motors, Payload Assist Modules (PAM) and many other solid rocket programs have been tested at AEDC.

Another notable accomplishment for this particular Minuteman test is that it was the first test program in which both operations contractor and government rocket test personnel officially performed test execution roles as a Combined Test Force (CTF).

"Randy Quinn served as a test manager and I served as a test engineer, which was our first time under the new CTF," Richard Kirkpatrick, AEDC test engineer said. "Brandon Dorman was also the lead test conductor on this test for the first time in his career.  Brandon did an outstanding job as the lead test conductor."

The test was also a milestone for one of the team members. It was the last rocket test to take place before James Brooks, ATA rocket test manager, retires. Brooks has served as both a project engineer and project manager for the rocket test facilities for 43 years.

Kirkpatrick stated Brooks has been a great person to work alongside.

"James brings a lot of knowledge and experience in the testing of rocket propulsion systems," Kirkpatrick said. "He will be missed at AEDC but we wish him the best of luck in this new stage of life."

Migliaccio agreed that James has been a great resource for the team.

"James Brooks has a unique perspective on the testing of large solid rocket motors because of his extensive work experience over many years," he said. "James played a big part in the development of the Peacekeeper Stage 3, which had many development problems starting with the first test in 1981 and culminating with the destruction of J5 test cell in November 1985. 

"James knows the importance of altitude testing and what that contributes in successful problem solving during the development of rocket motors. He has a corporate memory on the history of solid rocket testing that is truly remarkable. His sense of humor and candor is enjoyed by his coworkers and he will be missed."