Promontory, UTAH –
NASA and Northrop Grumman conducted a full-scale ground test of the Space Launch System Booster Obsolescence and Life Extension, SLS BOLE, motor here June 26.
Defense Contract Management Agency representatives joined a crowd of engineers, scientists and aerospace professionals to observe the thunderous spectacle unfold in the arid expanse of northern Utah.
“Watching the SLS booster test fire is more than witnessing a technical milestone, it’s a front-row seat for the future of human deep space exploration,” said Craig Bennett, DCMA headquarters NASA program manager. “Our presence underscored the importance of the collaborative NASA and DCMA interagency oversight on one of the most ambitious space programs of our time.”
DCMA’s observers included Sonya Ebright, acting director; Air Force Col. Shea Kennebrae, Western Regional commander; Niclas Chavez, Western Region deputy commander; Brian McGinnis, NPO director; Air Force Col. Jerry Pribyl, NPO Northrop Grumman Utah commander; and Bennett.
“Our senior leadership team interfaced with stakeholders and NASA’s senior leadership to provide independent support and exceptional services to NASA,” said McGinnis. “DCMA insight highly correlates with the final update to the recent presidential budget bill ensuring funding and program requirements for the Artemis, Gateway and International Space Station programs.”
Agency personnel assigned to DCMA NPO Northrop Grumman Utah are at the heart of production and a partner of NASA’s SLS Program Office located at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Quality assurance, engineering, program integration, contracting, property management, plant clearance and earned value management teams work with the NASA Safety and Mission Assurance Representatives and Resident Management to support the administration’s goal to ensure America’s human space exploration efforts remain unparalleled, innovative and efficient.
“I’m proud of the amazing work our DCMA experts have provided on this program,” said Ebright. “They have worked tirelessly, side-by-side with the contractor, to provide invaluable government insight and oversight of the SLS production. It’s phenomenal that this DCMA team’s efforts will contribute to America’s return to deep space exploration.”
According to NASA, the SLS is their most powerful rocket, designed to carry astronauts and cargo beyond low Earth orbit, including to the moon and, eventually, Mars. At the heart of its launch capability are two solid rocket boosters, each standing 156 feet tall and producing nearly four million pounds of thrust. The BOLE booster is the next-generation solid rocket motor designed to replace the shuttle program-era steel case design. The upgrade will integrate improved structures, which will enhance reliability and performance.
“These boosters are a leap forward in the solid rocket technology modernization effort,” Bennett said, adding that the technology transitioned from steel motor casing to carbon fiber.
BOLE provides over 10 percent improvement in payload and increased fuel capabilities. The upgraded solid rocket boosters are critical to support off-world human operations and manufacturing.
“With billions of dollars invested and human lives eventually riding on these systems, collaborative interagency oversight is essential,” McGinnis said.
In accordance with Marshall Space Flight Center’s Letter of Delegation, DCMA NASA Product Operation’s involvement builds confidence in the integrity of the development process; helps identify and mitigate risks early; and ensures accountability across all levels of the supply chain.
“The test fire was a critical step in validating the performance of these boosters before they get strapped to the rocket for flight,” Bennett said. “It’s a roaring promise that the next giant leap is just over the horizon and a reminder of what’s possible when ambition meets engineering.”