ELKTON, Md. – Northrop Grumman Corporation completed a successful static fire test of a prototype Mk 72 solid rocket motor (SRM) at its advanced propulsion production facility in Elkton, Maryland. This achievement highlights the company’s commitment to deliver proven solid rocket motors at scale today, investment in capacity to meet Department of War needs and innovate for tomorrow.
The Northrop Grumman Mk 72 focuses on meeting current performance requirements while improving manufacturability, lead time and cost efficiency. The company is pioneering processes and techniques to design and deliver new and second source rocket motors faster than ever, by leveraging low risk solutions and innovative qualification and production methodologies.
Northrop Grumman’s Mk 72 solid rocket motor solution:
- Proved the alignment of our digital twin and performance modeling technologies to real, measured motor performance through captured data in this U.S. Navy-funded static test.
- Addressed manufacturability, producibility, and supply chain resiliency challenges being experienced by other SRM suppliers through tailored trade studies.
- Established multiple sources for critical components, achieving supply chain resilience to ensure deliveries even as demand increases.
Gordon LoPresti, senior director of propulsion systems and controls at Northrop Grumman said, “The successful Mk 72 static fire test is a testament to the proven solid rocket motor technologies Northrop Grumman has delivered for over seven decades. We rapidly developed this innovative Mk 72 solution that is tailorable to the U.S. Navy’s needs, is low-risk and can be produced at scale.”
