U.S. defense contractor Orbital Sciences has test-fired a rocket motor that U.S. officials might use in the first stage of a new Ground-based Midcourse Defense system, Defense Daily reported Friday (see GSN, Oct. 30).

Following trouble with Boeing’s off-the-shelf booster technology, the U.S. Defense Department awarded Orbital Sciences a $425 million contract earlier this year to build an alternative booster vehicle for the missile defense system (see GSN, Mar. 5).  Lockheed Martin was also slated to continue developing Boeing’s troubled booster program.

Orbital Sciences officials statically test-fired the rocket for 70 seconds — one of the last steps that must take place before a scheduled launch in 2003, they said.  Alliant Techsystems produced the rocket motor, Defense Daily reported.

“We are very pleased with the results of the static fire test,” said Ron Grabe, executive vice president and general manager of Orbital Science’s Launch Systems Group.

Lead systems integrator Boeing might choose between the Orbital Sciences and the Lockheed systems early next year, according to Defense Daily.  Wednesday’s test of the Ground-based Midcourse system is expected to be the last using a surrogate booster, Defense Daily reported (see GSN, Nov. 22).

“Calendar year 2003 will be the year of the booster for GMD,” said the MDA director, Air Force Lt. Gen. Ronald Kadish (Kerry Gildea, Defense Daily, Dec. 6).

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