PROMONTORY, UTAH (BNO NEWS) – The National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA) and ATK Aerospace Systems successfully tested the DM-2, the largest and most powerful solid rocket motor designed for flight, NASA said on Tuesday.

The test lasted two minutes during after which it was determined that the motor is potentially transferable to future heavy-lift launch vehicle designs. It was the most heavily instrumented motor test in NASA history as more than 760 instruments measured 53 test objectives.

Before testing, the solid rocket motor was cooled to 40 degrees Fahrenheit to verify the performance of the new materials and the motor at low temperatures. Initial results showed that the performance met all expectations.

"For every few degrees the temperature rises, solid propellant burns slightly faster and only through robust ground testing can we understand how material and motor performance is impacted by different operating conditions," said Alex Priskos, first stage manager for NASA's Ares Projects.

The DM-2 is the first-stage of the development of a solid rocket motor and it was designed to generate up to 3.6 million pounds of thrust at launch. The five-segment development motor includes several upgrades and technology improvements implemented by NASA and ATK engineers.

DM-2 is similar to the solid rocket boosters that help power the space shuttle to orbit. However the DM-2 includes certain unique features like the addition of a fifth segment, a larger nozzle throat, and upgraded insulation and liner.

After more testing, the first-stage solid rocket motor will be certified to fly at temperature ranges between 40-90 degrees Fahrenheit.

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