10 Northrop Grumman Propulsion Firsts
Propulsion Pioneers
10 Northrop Grumman Propulsion Firsts
10 Northrop Grumman Propulsion Firsts
1. Northrop Grumman heritage company Thiokol's first rocket motor firing in July 1948 at Elkton, Maryland
In July 1948, Northrop Grumman heritage company Thiokol fired its first rocket motor at Elkton, Maryland. This milestone marked the beginning of a legacy in rocket propulsion.
2. First Static Test Fire of a Minuteman I Stage
Thiokol conducted the first static test fire of a Minuteman I stage in 1957, demonstrating substantial advancements in intercontinental ballistic missile technology.
3. First Successful Recovery from Orbit
On August 11, 1960, Discoverer XIII marked a milestone by achieving the first successful recovery from orbit, demonstrating significant advancements in space retrieval technology.
4. Landmark U.S. Manned Space Recovery
John Glenn's historic February 1962 mission was supported by Northrop Grumman's propulsion technology, achieving the first U.S. manned recovery from orbit.
5. First Commercial Launches from Shuttle
In November 1982, the space shuttle successfully launched its first commercial payloads, SBS 3 and Anik C3, paving the way for commercial space activities.
6. Longest Time in Space for Solid Rocket
The STAR™ 48B motor set a record by remaining operational in space for 462 days after firing on August 10, 1990. Launches:
- Pioneer 10–Mar 2, 1972, on Atlas-Centaur; Jupiter –1973, left solar system June 13, 1983
- Pioneer 11–Apr 5, 1973, on Atlas-Centaur; Jupiter –1974, Saturn –1979, left solar system in 1990
- Voyager 1–Sep 5, 1977, on Titan III-Centaur; Jupiter –1979, Saturn –1980, left solar system in 1993
- Voyager 2–Aug 20, 1977, on Titan III-Centaur; Jupiter –1979, Saturn –1981, Uranus –1986, Neptune –1989; left solar system in 1993
7. Coldest Solids in Space, First Solid Soft Landing on Another Planet
Mars Pathfinder's mission on July 4, 1997, utilized solid retro motors at -22°F to achieve the first solid-fuel soft landing on another planet, with additional successful Mars Exploration Rover flights in January 2004.
8. World's First Privately Developed Space Launch Vehicle
Northrop Grumman built the world's first privately-developed space launch vehicle and has since conducted nearly 100 space launch missions with Pegasus®, Minotaur™, and Antares™ launch vehicles, boosting hundreds of satellites into space.
9. First Launch of Space Shuttle Boosted by Reusable Solid Rocket Boosters (RSRM)
Thiokol's Reusable Solid Rocket Motors (RSRM) launched every space shuttle mission from the first launch in 1981 throughout the 30-year duration of the program.
10. First Highly Loaded Grain Solid Rocket Motor by ABL
In 2024, the Allegany Ballistics Laboratory developed the first Highly Loaded Grain motor, packing more propellant into a motor for further range than ever before.
Additional Honorable Mentions:
- First Propellant Research and Development (R&D) for Reliable Jet-Assisted Takeoff Units — ABL’s propellant R&D provided the basis for the first generation of reliable jet-assisted takeoff (JATO) units for heavy aircraft.
- First Solid-Fuel Motor with Filament-Wound Fiberglass Casing — ABL created the Altair solid-fuel motor, the first to use a filament-wound fiberglass casing instead of a metal casing.
- First Successful Intercept with Fully Controllable Solid Rocket — The SDACS achieved the first successful intercept with a fully controllable solid rocket in January 2002.
Space Launch System Boosters
Northrop Grumman manufactures the five-segment solid rocket boosters for the NASA Space Launch System (SLS). These are the largest human-rated solid rocket boosters ever built for flight.