On 17 January, Northrop Grumman has announced that it awarded the contract for Minuteman and Peacekeeper rocket motor aging surveillance program.

In a statement made Thursday, said that Northrop Grumman Corporation has been awarded a follow-on contract valued up to $86 million from the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center, Launch Systems Enterprise, Small Launch and Targets Division (SMC/LEX) at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, for Rocket Systems Launch Program (RSLP) Peacekeeper and Minuteman Solid Rocket Motor Aging Surveillance.

The contract is an eight-year effort for ongoing aging surveillance for all deactivated Minuteman and Peacekeeper motors. Efforts include component dissection, motor plugging, propellant properties testing and hazards analysis, as well as overall program support.

In addition, the RSLP contract provides for special studies and additional component development or testing on an as-required basis. Northrop Grumman has supported RSLP solid rocket motor testing and analysis for all deactivated Minuteman and Peacekeeper assets ensuring safe storage and flight reliability since 1997. 

“We are honored and very pleased to continue our support to the Air Force’s Rocket Systems Launch Program,” said Kent Rominger, vice president, strategic programs, Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems. “Northrop Grumman’s long history of working with the Air Force and SMC speaks for itself – we’re very proud of our work on this effort.”

Retired Minuteman and Peacekeeper motors are used for a variety of purposes, including government launches for the Minotaur series of rockets, Missile Defense Agency missions, test launches such as next year’s Ascent Abort-2 NASA Orion and Launch Abort System test flight, and sounding rockets.