AJ-60A is asolid rocket booster produced byAerojet Rocketdyne. Up to 2020 they were used asstrap-on boosters on allUnited Launch AllianceAtlas V rocket configurations. They continue to be used on the Atlas V N22 configuration used to launch theBoeing Starliner.[1]
 An AJ-60A booster, without nosecone attached, being fitted to an Atlas V | |
| Manufacturer | Aerojet Rocketdyne |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | USA |
| Used on | Atlas V |
| General characteristics | |
| Height | 17.0 m (669 in) |
| Diameter | 1.6 m (62 in) |
| Gross mass | 46,697 kg (102,949 lb) |
| Engine details | |
| Maximum thrust | 1,688.4 kN (379,600 lbf) |
| Burn time | 94 seconds |
| Propellant | HTPB/AP (APCP) |
History
editThe AJ-60A rocket motor was developed between 1999 and 2003 for use on the Atlas V.[2]
On January 19, 2006 theNew Horizons spacecraft to Pluto was launched directly into a solar-escape trajectory at 16.26 kilometers per second (58,536 km/h; 36,373 mph) from Cape Canaveral using an Atlas V version with 5 of these SRBs and Star 48B third stage.[3]New Horizons passed the Moon's orbit in just nine hours.[4][5]
In 2015, ULA announced that the Atlas V will switch to newGEM 63 boosters produced byNorthrop Grumman Innovation Systems. (GEM 63XL, a stretched version of the GEM 63 booster is used on theVulcan rocket.)[6] The firstAtlas V launched with GEM 63 boosters on November 13, 2020.[7]
Design
editAJ-60A is a solid fueled rocket burningHTPB-basedcomposite solid propellant.[8] The casing is composed of agraphite-epoxy composite, and the engine throat and nozzle are made ofcarbon-phenolic composite. As configured for use on Atlas V, the nozzle is fixed at a 3 degree cant away from the attachment point, but Aerojet offers a variant with thrust vectoring capability.[2] The Atlas V configuration also features an inward slantingnosecone, but it is available with a conventional nosecone or none at all for use on other rockets. The stages are designed to be transported by truck.[8]
References
edit- ^Clark, Stephen (May 15, 2021)."Billion-dollar missile defense satellite ready for launch Monday in Florida". Spaceflight Now. RetrievedAugust 8, 2024.
- ^ab"Atlas V Solid Rocket Booster". Archived fromthe original on March 14, 2017. RetrievedJanuary 6, 2016.
- ^Scharf, Caleb A. (February 25, 2013)."The Fastest Spacecraft Ever?".Scientific American. RetrievedJuly 12, 2017.
- ^Neufeld, Michael (July 10, 2015)."First Mission to Pluto: The Difficult Birth of New Horizons". Smithsonian. RetrievedApril 21, 2018.
- ^"New Horizons: Mission Overview"(PDF). International Launch Services. January 2006. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on September 9, 2016. RetrievedApril 21, 2018.
- ^Jason Rhian (23 September 2015)."ULA selects Orbital ATK's GEM 63/63 XL SRBs for Atlas V and Vulcan boosters". Spaceflight Insider. Archived fromthe original on 11 January 2016. Retrieved6 January 2016.
- ^Northrop Grumman Ships GEM 63 Engines to United Launch Alliance For Atlas V July 2020
- ^ab"Atlas V User's Guide 2010"(PDF). 2010. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on March 6, 2012. RetrievedJanuary 6, 2016.