Fired Up! Final Test of Orion Motor Critical to Astronaut Safety a Spectacular Success

On Tuesday, engineers at Northrop Grumman’s facility in Elkton, Maryland successfully conducted the third and final test of the attitude control motor (ACM) that provides steering for the Launch Abort System (LAS) on NASA’s Orion spacecraft, qualifying the motor for Artemis II, Orion’s first mission with astronauts. The LAS, consisting of three solid rocket motors, is designed to carry crew to safety in the event of an emergency during launch or ascent atop the agency’s Space Launch System rocket. During the 30-second test, eight high pressure valves directed more than 7,000 pounds of thrust in multiple directions while firing at freezing conditions. All three motors on the LAS will be qualified for crewed flights ahead of Artemis II, another step that brings NASA closer to sending the first woman and next man to the Moon by 2024.