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Graphite-Epoxy Motor

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Graphite-Epoxy Motor
A GEM 40 solid rocket motor being prepared for integration with a Delta II launch vehicle
Manufacturer
Country of originUnited States
Used on
Associated stages
Comparable
Launch history
StatusActive
First flight26 November 1990

The Graphite-Epoxy Motor (GEM) is a family of solid rocket boosters developed in the late 1980s and used since 1990. GEM motors are manufactured with carbon-fibre-reinforced polymer casings and a fuel consisting of HTPB-bound ammonium perchlorate composite propellant. GEM is produced by Northrop Grumman Space Systems.[1] GEM boosters are used on the Atlas V and were previously used on the Delta II, Delta III, and Delta IV launch vehicles. A new variant, the GEM 63XL, flew as part of the Vulcan Centaur launch vehicle on 8 January 2024.[2][3][4]

Variants

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Active

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GEM 63

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The GEM 63 was developed by Orbital ATK as a low-cost drop-in replacement for the Aerojet Rocketdyne AJ-60A solid rocket booster used on the Atlas V. Its overall dimensions are very similar to that of the motor it replaces. The Atlas V first flew with the GEM 63 in 2020 on the NROL-101 launch.[5] The booster offers higher performance at about half the cost of the AJ-60A boosters formerly used on the Atlas V.[6]

GEM 63XL

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The GEM 63XL, developed by Northrop Grumman, is an extended version of the GEM 63, about 73 inches (190 cm) longer than its predecessor.[7] The weight is approximately 117,000 pounds (53 metric tons) each.[8] First fired in 2020, it is used on the Vulcan launch vehicle beginning with the first launch on January 8, 2024.[4][9][10] Up to 6 of the boosters will be mounted on a single Vulcan core, depending on customer needs.[11] It is currently used on Vulcan Centaur rocket.[2]

A variant equipped with a thrust-vectoring nozzle, the GEM 63XLT, was under development for the cancelled OmegA launch vehicle.[12]

Anomaly

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On 4 October 2024, a GEM 63XL experienced a partial failure 35 seconds after liftoff during the Vulcan Centaur Cert-2 mission. A change in the motor's plume as well as debris was observed falling from the motor after the anomaly. Observations of the anomaly suggest the GEM 63XL's engine nozzle was either damaged or suffered a structural failure 35 seconds after ignition. Vulcan Centaur Cert-2 continued into orbit successfully after burnout and separation of its two GEM 63XL boosters at approximately 2 minutes 10 seconds into flight. As of 4 October 2024, ULA is still investigating the cause of the anomaly.[13]

Retired

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GEM 40

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A GEM 40 is hoisted for attachment to a Delta II

The GEM 40 was a 40.4-inch-diameter (1,030 mm) solid rocket motor developed for the 7000-series Delta II launch vehicle beginning in 1987 by Hercules.[14] Its first flight took place in 1990 on the USA-66 mission,[15] when 9 boosters were used on a Delta II 7925 launcher. The use of composite materials allowed for casings lighter than the steel casings of the Castor 4 SRMs they replaced. The reduction in weight was used to extend the GEM 40 by 5.9 feet (1.8 m) compared to the Castor 4 used on 6000-series Delta II.[14][16] Delta II vehicles could be configured with three, four, or nine GEM 40 boosters. When using three or four boosters, all GEM 40s were ignited on the ground. On nine-booster Delta II, six were ignited on the ground; the remaining three were ignited in flight after burnout of the first six.[17] A variant with a thrust-vectoring nozzle, the GEM 40VN, was developed for the Ground-based Midcourse Defence anti-ballistic missile program,[1] but GMD later switched to Orion-50-based missile.

Failures
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On 5 August 1995, an air-lit GEM 40 failed to separate from a Delta II 7925 carrying Koreasat 1. The excess mass of the booster resulted in the satellite reaching a lower orbit than intended. The satellite was able to correct for the error using on-board propellant.[18]

On 17 January 1997, a Delta II (Delta 241) exploded due to a catastrophic failure in a GEM 40. The failure triggered the launch vehicle's self-destruct function 13 seconds after ignition. An Air Force investigation determined that the motor's casing had been damaged prior to launch, causing the case to split open soon after ignition.[18]

GEM 46

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The GEM 46 was a 45.1-inch-diameter (1,150 mm) solid rocket motor originally developed for Delta III by Alliant Techsystems. This solid motor variant included thrust vector control (TVC) to help steer the vehicle. After the discontinuation of the Delta III, GEM 46 motors (without TVC)[17] were used on the Delta II to create the Delta II Heavy, which could only be launched from a modified pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, SLC-17B.[19] Both Delta III and Delta II Heavy used nine GEM 46s, with six ignited on the ground and three air-lit.[20]

Failures
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On 27 August 1998, the GEM 46 boosters on the first Delta III, carrying the Galaxy 10 satellite, depleted their hydraulic fluid used to control the thrust-vectoring nozzle. This was due to guidance issues with the rest of the rocket, which forced the solid rocket motors to make rapid adjustments to compensate, using up the supply of hydraulic fluid before burnout. The nozzles were then stuck in a position that turned the rocket over, triggering the vehicle's self-destruct function 70 seconds after ignition.[21][22]

A GEM 60 solid rocket motor is seen laying horizontally on a trailer at Cape Canaveral's SLC-37B.
A GEM 60 being prepared for integration onto a Delta IV

GEM 60

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The GEM 60 was a 60-inch-diameter (1,500 mm) solid motor used on the Delta IV family of launch vehicles, used with and without thrust vector control.[17] Developed for the EELV program, its first flight was on 20 November 2002, boosting the first launch of the Delta IV.[23] Delta IV Medium+ launchers were built with either two or four GEM 60.[24] The added performance from the solid rocket motors allowed variants of the Delta IV Medium+ to accommodate a larger second stage. The motor was retired in 2019 after the final Delta IV Medium launch.[25] Throughout its lifetime, 64 GEM 60 boosters were flown; there were no failures.[25]

Version comparison

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Data from Northrop Grumman catalog[26]

Name Application Length Diameter Mass Thrust Specific impulse Burn time (sec.) Propellant First flight Final flight
Gross Propellant
GEM 40 Delta II 11.0 m (435 in) 1.03 m (40.4 in) 12,962 kg (28,577 lb) 11,770 kg (25,940 lb)
  • SL: 643.8 kN (144,740 lbf)
  • Air-lit: 665.7 kN (149,660 lbf)
  • SL: 274 s (2.69 km/s)
  • Air-lit: 283.4 s (2.779 km/s)
 63 AP / HTPB / Al 26 November 1990 15 September 2018
GEM 46 Delta II, Delta III 14.7 m (580 in) 1.15 m (45.1 in) 19,140 kg (42,196 lb) 16,860 kg (37,180 lb) 601 kN (135,200 lbf)
  • SL: 242 s (2.37 km/s)
  • Air-lit: 284 s (2.79 km/s)
 77 26 August 1998 10 September 2011
GEM 60 Delta IV 13.2 m (518 in) 1.5 m (60 in) 33,638 kg (74,158 lb) 29,697 kg (65,471 lb) 879 kN (197,500 lbf) SL: 245 s (2.40 km/s) 91 20 November 2002 22 August 2019
GEM 63 Atlas V 20.1 m (792 in) 1.61 m (63.2 in) 49,300 kg (108,600 lb) 44,200 kg (97,500 lb) 1,663 kN (373,800 lbf) vac: 279 s (2.74 km/s) 94 13 November 2020 —
GEM 63XL Vulcan Centaur 22 m (865 in) 53,400 kg (117,700 lb) 48,000 kg (105,800 lb) 2,026 kN (455,400 lbf) vac: 280 s (2.7 km/s) 84 8 January 2024 —
GEM 63XLT OmegA Un­known Un­known Un­known Un­known Un­known Un­known Un­known —[a] —[a]
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  • GEM 46 solid rocket booster is seen in the integration facility.
    A GEM 46 motor prior to mating to a Delta II 7925H
  • Technicians prepare a GEM 46 booster
    Technicians prepare a GEM 46 booster
  • GEM 40 booster is towed to the integration facility
    GEM 40 booster is towed to the integration facility
  • A Delta IV rocket blasts off with the help of GEM 60 solid rocket motors.
    A Delta IV M+ (4,2) lifts off with 2 GEM 60 boosters
  • A Delta II rocket ignites its engines, including 9 GEM 46 solid rockets.
    A Delta II 7920H ignites 9 GEM 46 boosters
  • An Atlas V 541 lifts off with 4 GEM 63 boosters
    An Atlas V 541 lifts off with 4 GEM 63 boosters

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b OmegA rocket was cancelled, without ever being flown or produced.

References

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  1. ^ a b "Northrop Grumman GEM Capabilities". Northrop Grumman. Archived from the original on 2019-02-03.
  2. ^ a b Belam, Martin (2024-01-08). "Nasa Peregrine 1 launch: Vulcan Centaur rocket carrying Nasa moon lander lifts off in Florida – live updates". the Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-01-08.
  3. ^ "ULA Sets Path Forward for Inaugural Vulcan Flight Test". www.ulalaunch.com. Retrieved 2022-12-21.
  4. ^ a b Foust, Jeff (2023-07-13). "Centaur modifications push first Vulcan launch to fourth quarter". SpaceNews. Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  5. ^ "NROL-101". www.nro.gov. Archived from the original on 2022-05-09. Retrieved 2022-05-09.
  6. ^ Tory Bruno [@torybruno] (3 April 2018). "Higher performance. Approaching half the cost" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  7. ^ "GEM 63 Updates". Northrop Grumman. Archived from the original on 2022-05-09. Retrieved 2022-05-07.
  8. ^ "Launching the Vulcan Rocket For the First Time – Smarter Every Day 297". Smarter Every Day. YouTube. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  9. ^ "ULA Vulcan Rocket Debut Slips To 2022". Aviation Week. 2022-06-22. Archived from the original on 2022-05-09.
  10. ^ Clark, Stephen (2015-09-22). "Orbital ATK beats out Aerojet". Archived from the original on 2022-05-09. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
  11. ^ "Vulcan". www.ulalaunch.com. Archived from the original on 2022-05-09. Retrieved 2022-05-07.
  12. ^ Northrop Grumman [@northropgrumman] (2019-11-21). "We've started winding our first GEM 63XLT!" (Tweet). Retrieved 2022-05-09 – via Twitter.
  13. ^ https://spacenews.com/vulcan-competes-second-flight-despite-srb-anomaly/
  14. ^ a b Vlahakis, Nick; Va, Darryl (1989), "Graphite epoxy motors (GEM) for the Delta II launch vehicle", 25th Joint Propulsion Conference, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, doi:10.2514/6.1989-2313, retrieved 2022-05-07
  15. ^ McDowell, Jonathan (2022-05-07). "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Report. Archived from the original on 2022-05-07. Retrieved 2022-05-07.
  16. ^ "Launch Vehicle: Solid Rocket Motors". JPL. Archived from the original on 2022-05-09. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
  17. ^ a b c "ATK Product Catalog" (PDF). ATK. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 30, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
  18. ^ a b Kyle, Ed (2012-12-02). "Delta 2 Productive Years". Space Launch Report. Archived from the original on 2022-03-21. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
  19. ^ Graham, William (2014-07-02). "ULA Delta II successfully lofts OCO-2 to orbit". NASASpaceflight.com. Archived from the original on 2022-05-09. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
  20. ^ "Propulsion Products Catalog GEM MOTOR SERIES pdf" (PDF).
  21. ^ "Boeing Pinpoints Cause of Delta III Failure, Predicts Timely Return to Flight". MediaRoom. Retrieved 2022-05-07.
  22. ^ Furniss, Tim (1998-09-01). "Boeing Delta III explodes on maiden flight". FlightGlobal. Archived from the original on 2022-05-07. Retrieved 2022-05-07.
  23. ^ Ray, Justin (2002-11-20). "Spaceflight Now | Delta Launch Report | Boeing's Delta 4 rocket debuts successfully". spaceflightnow.com. Archived from the original on 2022-05-09. Retrieved 2022-05-07.
  24. ^ "Delta IV Medium+ (4,2)". Spaceflight 101. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
  25. ^ a b Siegel, Jim (2019-08-25). "Delta IV Medium ends 17-Year run with 100% success". SpaceFlight Insider. Archived from the original on 2022-05-09. Retrieved 2022-05-09.
  26. ^ Propulsion Products Catalog (PDF). Northrop Grumman. pp. 29–39. Retrieved 2024-10-24.
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