Solid Rocket History at Hercules

A complete and detailed history of one of the world's leading rocket propulsion companies. Dr. Robert H. Goddard began using their single- and double-base powders in his experiments. Hercules propellants were later used in many World War II rockets. Then in early 1944, Hercules began operating the Allegheny Ballistics Laboratory (formerly the Jet Propulsion Research Laboratory), at the Naval Powder Factory near Cumberland, MD. There some 700 scientists, engineers, and technicians worked on developing solid propellant rockets. Hercules' first smokeless propellant for tactical rocket motors was developed in 1944. In the 1950s, the company concentrated on Jet Assisted Take-Off (JATO), anti-aircraft, and ship-launched missiles such as Nike, Talos, and Terrier. Later they began making composite propellants for the Sparrow, Sidewinder, and Sprint interceptor motors. By the 1980s, their solid rocket motors made up more than half of the U.S. tactical arsenal. They also built motors for the Delta II, Titan IV, Polaris, Poseidon, Trident, and the Pegasus launch system. Hercules has produced propulsion systems for the Scout, Atlas, Altair, Antares, and other programs. In partnership with Thiokol, they developed ballistic missile engines for Minuteman and Peacekeeper. This volume describes their entry into high-energy slurry-cast composite modified double-base propellants, and stop-restart capabilities using a water quench system. It also discusses high-performance nitrate ester polyether propellants, filament-wound motor cases, carbon/epoxy motor cases, carbon-carbon nested extendible exit cones, wound elastomeric insulator co-cured with composite motor cases, and flex-seal omni-axial movable nozzles. There's abundant technical information about motor cases, nozzles, thrust vector control, insulation, case bonding, igniters, and thrust termination. Static test firing operations--and data analysis--are also discussed, together with process inspection procedures.