Advanced controllable solid propulsion thruster development for a lightweight detachable Roll Control System

ABSTRACT:The Air Force is currently evaluating options for MM III life extension under the Ground Based Strategic Deterrence (GBSD) Analysis of Alternatives.Potential life extension solutions include continued use of the existing MM III guidance set in conjunction with modernized solid rocket motor (SRM) stages to replace the existing SRM stages as they age out.These modernized stages could require a Roll Control System (RCS) to be compatible with the existing MM III guidance set. During the SBIR Phase II program Valley Tech Systems will design, fabricate and test the new thruster technology that fills the technical gap for a detachable, affordable, sustainable RCS to be used on these modernized SRM stages.BENEFIT:Over the past several years Valley Tech Systems has developed advanced controllable solid propulsion technology that is directly applicable to a modernized GBSD MM III SRM stage Roll Control System design. Our Phase I SBIR program focused on applying these technologies to a long duration RCS thruster. The successful Phase I program featured RCS requirements analyses, conceptual RCS/Thruster design and successful hot fire testing of the thruster material technology. The result is a new thruster design that fills the technical gap for the next generation MMII booster RCS. Our Phase II program will complete the new flight weight prototype thruster design followed by fabrication and a hot fire test series that fully characterizes the critical design and performance attributes for direct transition to a future GBSD MM III application.