Technicians at the Arnold Engineering Development Center in Tennessee successfully fired a second-stage Minuteman III rocket motor that came from the motor’s final production batch. “It’s the last of the production runs, so it’s a significant test,” said Denny Elston, a contractor who’s a testing engineer at AEDC. “The motor met all specification requirements, and that’s not unusual,” he said of last month’s testing in the center’s Large Rocket Motor Test Facility. Manufacturer ATK Launch Systems switched to a very low-rate “warm” production line for these engines two years ago. AEDC’s testing is meant to help ensure that the nation maintains “the manufacturing and engineering infrastructure necessary” to produce Minuteman’s solid-fuel boosters, explained Elston. The Minuteman motors are designed for a shelf life of 30 years. The last stage-three engine from warm-line production is scheduled to undergo testing this month. (Arnold report by Shawn Jacobs)
The Department of the Air Force wants to launch a construction boom with its fiscal 2027 budget, more than doubling its request over 2026, according to budget documents.