First-ever solid rocket testing will take place at Stennis Space Center

Stennis Space Center

For the first time in its 62-year existence, NASA‘s Stennis Space Center will be able to add solid rocket motor construction and testing to its list of achievements.

This month, NASA revealed that it has reached a lease agreement with Evolution Space, a startup business based in California, to use a portion of the South Mississippi center’s former Army ammunition mill for the development of solid motors. The rockets will be fired on-site for testing beginning in the following year.

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For the creator and CEO of Evolution, Steve Heller, the arrangement seems a little like coming home to Mississippi. He used to shoot toy rockets off the clear-cut acreage that belonged to his family’s timber company when he was a little boy growing up in Clarke County. He claimed that he could never have envisioned running a business out of a NASA facility in South Mississippi.

He claimed that Stennis is now “the best option” for Evolution’s growth.

“You cannot simply purchase a piece of land and declare that you intend to construct a missile factory,” Heller stated. “Stennis is an incredible asset that can propel us forward, increase our productivity, and connect us with some of the clients we will eventually be working with.”

Gold Chain Cowboy, the first successful space launch by Evolution Space, is scheduled for April 22, 2023.
Stennis, which was constructed in the 1960s as NASA’s propulsion testing facility, ignited the primary engines of the space shuttle and the Apollo lunar rockets. Liquid propulsion launch systems were equipped on both spacecraft. The Space Launch System, which will send humans to the Moon and beyond, is presently awaiting NASA certification for its new liquid-fueled engines.

NASA started searching for tenants who could lease its distinctive infrastructure to support their private space projects when space exploration started to shift to private enterprises.

“We are changing our business model to better align with the needs of the commercial sector,” stated NASA Stennis propulsion business manager Jason Richard. “NASA Stennis is constantly seeking opportunities for partnerships with businesses so that we can support their growth and success.”

Established in 2018, Evolution Space is based in the Mojave Desert of California. The Spaceport Company launched its first commercial rocket from American territorial seas earlier this year from a barge in the Gulf of Mexico, and Evolution supplied the propulsion.

Following its initial successes, Evolution began searching for a location to expand its solid rocket motor operations. These motors are utilized in a variety of applications, including pilot ejection seats and tactical weaponry. Full-size rocket vehicles are an additional product that military personnel can employ for target practice.

During a May site visit to NASA Stennis, Evolution representatives discovered the infrastructure and space they require for both present and future needs. An added plus was its position in South Mississippi, which makes rocket launches in the Gulf easily accessible.

According to Heller, his company has prospects in the space and defense sectors due to the increasing demand for solid rocket motors.

“Most of the talent in this generation is going for private exploration of space and there’s a significant gap in the defense part of that equation,” Heller noted. “That happens to be a really good use for our technology. We can expand the defense industrial base’s capacity by a significant percentage. Additionally, we believe that we can complete the task more swiftly, effectively, and sustainably, which will aid in the industry’s evolution into what it needs to be in light of current global events.

At NASA Stennis, Evolution is leasing portions of the former Army munitions plant, where it plans to construct a solids propulsion center. The lease was made possible in part by the Mississippi Enterprise for Technology at Stennis.

Evolution’s vice president of production and development and head of operations at NASA Stennis, Manny Ballestero, stated that the business is adjusting its production method “to show we can do bigger-scale production and add more lines.”

“At NASA Stennis, we will be preparing the propellant on-site, testing the solid rocket motors at the E-3 Test Complex, and then launching them to their launch location, which could be White Sands Missile Range or Spaceport off a barge in the Gulf of Mexico,” stated Ballestero, one of the two company representatives. Throughout the next few years, employment may reach a few hundred. “In early summer, testing will take place, with mixing and casting starting in March.”

Since the exhaust plume enters the atmosphere, obtaining the necessary environmental licenses is the largest obstacle to testing solid rocket motors. The E-3 Test Complex’s air permits were already in place for NASA Stennis, so Evolution “can hit the ground running,” according to Richard.

Solid rockets are substantially smaller in size and thrust than massive liquid engines, and testing them is also less complicated. Richard stated, “All you have to do is hold it down and have power for data acquisition and ignition.”

The test firings will last for approximately 15 seconds, as opposed to the many minutes that the current SLS testing runs. Ballestero estimates that he will carry out about twelve tests annually.

Ballestero stated that Northrop Grumman and Aerojet Rocketdyne are the two main American suppliers of solid rocket motors.

“We believe that our approach is superior. We know it enables us to move a lot faster because we are a small, nimble company, Ballestero added.

We’re not attempting to overthrow anyone, stated Aaron Tarnowski, lead for marketing and communications. Our goal is to increase the market’s capacity. People are having trouble obtaining solid rocket motors because of the enormous demand at the moment and the large companies’ backlog.

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