Orion

Orbital ATK has completed the critical design review (CDR) for the Orion launch abort motor with Lockheed Martin and Nasa.

The abort motor will be installed on the Orion launch abort system (LAS), which is designed to ensure the safety of astronauts aboard Nasa’s Space Launch System (SLS) on deep space missions.

The motor will propel the crew capsule away from the rocket in the event of an unexpected failure at the launch pad, or during lift-off and ascent. It will ignite within milliseconds, and accelerate to carry the crew module to a safe distance from the primary rocket and debris field.

With the completion of CDR, the abort motor will proceed to fabrication, assembly, integration and testing phases at Orbital ATK’s facilities in Magna and Promontory, Utah.

"Orbital ATK’s launch abort motor greatly increases safety for future crews."

Orbital ATK strategy and business development vice-president Kent Rominger said: "As a critical element of a life-saving system, the launch abort motor must be reliable, and it must ignite quickly.

"Orbital ATK’s launch abort motor greatly increases safety for future crews."

At the Utah plant, the company will manufacture a 36in-diameter by 175in-long composite case for the motor.

Orbital ATK will develop the LAS attitude control motor at its facility in Elkton, Maryland, as part of a contract with Lockheed Martin.

The Exploration Mission-1, the first joint mission for Orion and SLS, is planned for launch in 2018.

Image: The Orion spacecraft, which will transport astronauts into deep space and return safely. Photo: courtesy of Nasa.