Castor

Propulsion Products Catalog This document does not contain technical data as defined in the ITAR, 22 CFR 120.10; or technology as defined under EAR (15 CFR 730-774). 20 CASTOR ® MOTOR SERIES LOW-COST, HIGH-RELIABILITY BOOSTERS The CASTOR motor family was originally developed in the mid-to-late 1950s to support the NASA Scout and Little Joe vehicles. In 1969, the CASTOR IV was developed to provide first stage propulsion for the Athena H and was later adapted as a strap-on booster for Delta II. The CASTOR I-IV family has a combined total of over 1,900 flights and a demonstrated reliability of 99.95%. Since then, newer derivatives including the CASTOR IVA, IVA-XL, and IVB have replaced the CASTOR IV motor. • CASTOR IVA, high-performance strap-on propulsion launch vehicles • CASTOR IVA-XL, 8-foot extended length version with 30% greater launch capability • CASTOR IVB, thrust vector control version with first stage, second stage, or strap-on booster application Northrop Grumman currently manufactures a complete line of first- and second-stage and strap-on solid rocket motors. Over 50% of the U.S. space launches carry commercial satellites and CASTOR motors are designed to provide low-cost, high-reliability propulsion to support that access to space. Northrop Grumman has used the base technology from four generations of ballistic missile boosters and the technology and experience from expendable launch vehicle programs to continue to add to the CASTOR series. Development of the CASTOR 120 motor began in 1989. The CASTOR 120 was designed, using proven technology, to meet the need for a medium-sized, reliable, solid rocket booster. The primary goals of the program were to achieve a >0.999 reliability rating and a 50% cost reduction. CASTOR 120 motors have served as stage one of the Lockheed Martin Athena I and stages one and two on Athena II, and Northrop Grumman Taurus and Minotaur-C vehicles used it as an initial stage (Stage 0) booster. The CASTOR 30/30B/30XL upper stages have each flown successfully on Northrop Grumman’s Antares launch vehicle for International Space Station resupply missions. Inquiries regarding our CASTOR motor products should be directed to our business development representatives at [email protected]. 21 Approved for Public Release OSR No. 16-S-1432; Dated 05 April 2016 This document does not contain technical data as defined in the ITAR, 22 CFR 120.10; or technology as defined under EAR (15 CFR 730-774) For more information, contact: [email protected] northropgumman.com FIXED NOZZLE The CASTOR IVA motor was developed in the early 1980s for NASA. By switching to HTPB propellant (from the earlier CASTOR IV), NASA was able to improve Delta II performance by 11%. Development and qualification motors were fired in 1983. Three additional qualification tests were conducted. Each Delta vehicle carried nine CASTOR IVA strap-on motors until 1993. In addition, a straight nozzle version powered Orbital Sciences’ Prospector suborbital vehicle and two motors flew on the Conestoga in October 1995. CASTOR IVA motors have also flown on the Lockheed Martin Atlas IIAS, which was first flown in 1993. The four strap-on boosters on the Atlas IIAS increased payload capacity by 1,500 lb. Two boosters are ground-lit at ignition and two are air-ignition. Two configurations are available; -03, with an 11-degree canted nozzle, and -04, with a 7-degree canted nozzle. CASTOR IVA VECTORABLE NOZZLE IN-LINE BOOSTER CASTOR IVA-XL FIXED NOZZLE The CASTOR IVA-XL motor, an 8-foot extension of the CASTOR IVA motor, was first tested in 1992. Successful qualification tests followed in 1992 and 1993. A more recent demonstration motor test was conducted in 1999. The Japanese H-IIA launch vehicle used modified CASTOR IVA-XL motors with 6-degree canted nozzles as solid strap-on boosters. The H-IIA can use two or four solid strap-on boosters depending on mission requirements and vehicle configuration. The first CASTOR IVA-XL solid strap-on booster motors