Orbital opens new Ramjet test facility
Orbital ATK has successfully completed the final validation and testing for its new clean air Ramjet test facility at the Allegany Ballistics Laboratory (ABL) in Rocket Center, West Virginia, the company announced on 19 October.
ABL is housed at the site owned by Naval Sea Systems Command. The facility features a clear-air testing environment for flying trajectories on the stand with real-time, variable mass flow-rate and temperature.
The facility accurately replicates the operational envelope of tactical air-breathing solid propulsion systems with air mass flow simulating up to Mach 4.5 and temperatures up to 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit, providing real-world simulation with a clean-air environment free of combustion byproducts.
Pat Nolan, vice president and general manager, missile products division of the Defense Systems Group, Orbital ATK, said: ‘This new facility is a national asset, providing the means to test next-generation missile propulsion components. We have the ability to ‘fly a mission’ during test, which reduces costs associated with conducting multiple point tests.’
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