Aerojet Rocketdyne’s hot-fire test of an additively manufactured thrust chamber assembly at its West Palm Beach, Florida facility. Photo: Aerojet Rocketdyne.

Aerojet Rocketdyne’s advanced tactical booster program has completed two successful hot-fire tests of a motor that had been conditioned to mimic extreme cold- and hot-soak conditions for air-launch application. The tests took place at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) at Edwards Air Force Base in California, the company confirmed.

The solid rocket motor will be used to accelerate a vehicle during its initial phase of flight. The motors were tested at extreme temperatures to verify they will perform as expected across the full range of anticipated operational conditions. The solid rocket motors tested recently were designed and fabricated by Aerojet Rocketdyne for AFRL under a contract aimed at developing advanced booster technologies for use on future vehicles.