Rocket Booster Testing: The Reality & 'Mishaps
A Little History
Rocket booster testing started in 1956 at the Thiokol testing facility near Promontory summit just west of Brigham City, UT (north of Salt Lake). In 1974 they were awarded the contract to build the reusable solid rocket boosters for the Space Shuttle. Now owned by ATK, this facility continues the legacy of excellence for manufacturing, refurbishment, and static testing of rocket boosters.
About Rocket Booster Testing
Rocket booster testing is a crucial procedure that involves the controlled firing of a rocket engine to ensure it meets the necessary thrust and performance standards. This process includes static fire tests, where the engine is mounted on a secure test stand and fired while fixed to the ground.
These tests are designed to observe and measure the engine's efficiency and reliability, and reveal vulnerabilities. These tests can be stressful, rewarding, and as you'd imagine, very exciting to watch.
These tests are also not without their potential mishaps. Even under controlled conditions, not every issue can be predicted.
The NewEra Connection
Having made precision parts for the space shuttle program (tiny 1/2" plugs), many parts for aerospace in general, and having a family business with decades of experience in the industry, there's bound to be some great stories to tell within your organization.
Some make you proud. Some you can't talk about (top secret). And some are downright unexpected.
One such 'unexpected' story is told here at NewEra by someone's father that worked on the space shuttle program? in the early 1980's as an engineer at the Thiokol testing facility.?
In April 1980, seeking to evaluate new materials and designs, this father and his colleagues of engineers and scientists prepared for the countdown of a static fire test by a hillside in Brigham City, UT.
They completed the comprehensive checklist of procedures for pre-test preparations, propellant loading, engine ignition, data acquisition, safety protocols, and post-test analysis.
Everything checked out. They were ready for the countdown.
...3...2...1
An intense flame lances out of the long rocket motor. Then, at the exact moment the countdown reached zero, a LOCAL CROW came flying by, and...
The Moral of The Story
1. No matter what, you can't account for all the variables.
2. Engineers and scientists are not without empathy.
3. Nor are they without a sense of humor.
NASA PHOTO: Taken on January 18, 1978?
This photograph was taken during the static test firing of the DM-2 (Demonstration Motor) for the Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) at the testing ground of Thiokol Corporation near Brigham City, Utah. As one of the major components of the Space Shuttle, SRBs provide most of the power, their combined thrust of some 5.8 million pounds, for the first two minutes of flight. The SRBs took the Space Shuttle to an altitude of 28 miles and a speed of 3,094 miles per hour before they separated and fell back into the ocean to be retrieved, refurbished, and prepared for another flight. Marshall Space Flight Center had the management responsibilities with (what was originally known as the Thiokol Corporation) as the prime contractor
Credit: NASA
Image Number: MSFC 7883821
Date: January 18, 1978
We successfully test fired a solid rocket booster designed for NASA’s Space Launch System on July 21 at the Promontory, Utah, facility.
In this video, at 3:36, camera 918 captures a bird landing on the launch tower. Once the SRBs light off, the bird freaks out and starts flying.