Technicians at Alliant Techsystems Inc. [ATK] completed qualification testing of the solid rocket booster motor that will be used as rocket boosters with The Boeing Co.’s [BA] new Delta 4 family of launch vehicles.

The graphite epoxy motor (GEM), designated as the GEM 60, will be used to augment the Delta 4 Medium-plus launchers, Boeing explained.

The tests culminated 29 months of design, fabrication and testing by employees from Boeing, Alliant Techsystems and Moog, a key subcontractor that supplies the motor’s thrust vector actuation system.

“The GEM 60 motor performed flawlessly in each of the three qualification static test firings, meeting or exceeding all performance requirements,” said Jeff Foote, president of Alliant Aerospace Propulsion Co.

“Thanks to an outstanding team effort by everyone involved, we now have a new and more powerful booster that’s ready to fly. The first production motors will be delivered to the launch site this fall and then to Boeing in early 2001,” Foot added.

The GEM 60 measures 60 inches in diameter and is the largest booster in the group. Earlier, smaller versions, the GEM 46 and GEM 40, are used as boosters for the Delta 3 and Delta 2 launchers, respectively.