ATK Conducts 1st Test for the Ares I-X 1st Stage Separation System

Ares I First Stage Joint Severance Test a Success

(Minneapolis, June 23, 2008) -- Alliant Techsystems (NYSE: ATK) recently conducted a successful full-scale severance test of an Ares I-X first stage. The test is a milestone in the development of NASA's Ares I crew launch vehicle and is another step leading to the flight test of Ares I-X in Spring 2009.

The test consisted of a replicated Ares I-X first stage forward skirt extension and forward skirt stacked and suspended two feet above the ground. A linear-shape charge was detonated, detaching the two pieces of hardware horizontally. During an actual flight, once the first stage separates from the upper stage, the solid rocket booster will start to fall and at a predetermined altitude the forward skirt extension joint will be severed to facilitate deployment of the parachute recovery system. The first stage is designed to land in the ocean where it can be recovered for reuse.

This ground test was ATK's first-ever demonstration of joint severance on a simulated first stage and was the first in a series of three Ares I-X First Stage tests scheduled to demonstrate elements of the launch vehicle's joint severance capability.

Source : Alliant Techsystems (ATK)

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