The U.S. Missile Defense Agency has decided to delay tests of competing booster rockets being developed by defense contractors Lockheed Martin and Orbital Sciences for use in the Ground-based Missile Defense system, Inside Missile Defense reported today (see GSN, April 18).

In February, the agency sent Congress a proposed testing schedule that called for two booster verification tests to be held in the second and third quarter of fiscal 2003, according to Inside Missile Defense.  Under that schedule, Lockheed Martin’s booster would be tested first followed by Orbital’s booster.  The agency said last week that it has decided to test Orbital’s booster this month, and Lockheed’s booster will probably be tested in September.

Once those tests have been conducted, the agency plans to test the boosters carrying payloads in two integrated flight tests, which were originally scheduled to be held in the third and fourth quarters of fiscal 2003, Inside Missile Defense reported.  Those tests are now set to be held in the fall at the test site on Kwajalein Island, the agency said.

If the integrated flight tests are successful, the agency plans to conduct an intercept test using one of the two booster designs, according to Inside Missile Defense.  That test had originally been scheduled for first quarter of fiscal 2004, but is now scheduled for the second quarter of fiscal 2004 (Thomas Duffy, Inside Missile Defense, Aug. 6).

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