[SLS] Sub-Scale Solid Rocket Motor Tests Material For Space Launch System

A sub-scale solid rocket motor designed to mimic NASA's Space Launch System, or SLS, booster design was successfully tested by engineers at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.

The 20-second firing tested new insulation materials on the 24-inch-diameter, 109-inch-long motor. The motor is a scaled down, low-cost replica of the solid rocket motors that will boost SLS off the launch pad.

The test will help engineers develop and evaluate analytical models and skills to assess future full-scale SLS solid rocket motor tests. Marshall is leading the design and development of the SLS on behalf of the agency. The new heavy-lift launch vehicle will expand human presence beyond low-Earth orbit and enable new missions of exploration across the solar system.