Aerojet Rocketdyne Successfully Hot Fires Large Solid Rocket Motor to Power Missile Defense Agency’s Next Generation MRBM Target

Aerojet Rocketdyne has completed the qualification static fire test of the eSR-19, the advanced large solid rocket motor that will power the Missile Defense Agency’s (MDA) next-generation Medium Range Ballistic Missile (MRBM) target used to test our nation’s missile defense systems.

“I applaud the dedicated efforts by teams across Aerojet Rocketdyne to meet this important milestone,” said Eileen P. Drake, Aerojet Rocketdyne CEO and president. “Our steadfast workforce and advanced solid rocket motor propulsion remain crucial to helping protect our nation and our allies.”

The successful qualification test, conducted by Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and Aerojet Rocketdyne personnel at AFRL’s test facility at Edwards Air Force Base, California, paves the way to deliver flight test motors later this year.

The eSR-19 is a redesigned version of the SR-19 currently serving as the second stage of the nation’s Minuteman III strategic missiles. Featuring a lighter, filament-wound composite case and other performance-enhancing improvements, the eSR-19 will provide the propulsion for both stages of MDA’s air-launched, medium-range target vehicle, developed by Aerojet Rocketdyne subsidiary Coleman Aerospace.

The motor was designed and fabricated in Aerojet Rocketdyne facilities in Huntsville, Alabama, and cast and cured in Camden, Arkansas. The eSR-19 motors are later integrated into the target systems by the Coleman Aerospace team in Orlando, Florida.

This recent qualification test was the latest achievement in the evolution of Aerojet Rocketdyne’s legacy Large Solid Rocket Motor (LSRM) capabilities, including investments in a talented workforce and new modern LSRM facilities.