The Solid Rocket Legacy of Thiokol's Huntsville Division 1949-1996

摘要

The former Huntsville Division of Thiokol was a key component of the United States' solid rocket industrial infrastructure from 1949 until its closing in 1996. The establishment of the Thiokol plant on the grounds of the U.S. Army's Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama in 1949 helped form the industrial foundation for Redstone to meet its immediate post-World War Ⅱ mission to develop and manufacture new rockets and missiles. Thiokol's Redstone Division, as it was then known, initially focused on the development and manufacture of polysulfide composite propellants on a large scale for military applications. This led to Thiokol's successful demonstration of case-bonded solid rocket motors (SRMs) up to 31 inches in diameter and its first motor production contract for the Falcon missile. Thiokol's Huntsville Division later developed and manufactured the more modern polybutadiene-based composite propellants, high energy interceptor propellants, and minimum smoke propellants for Army applications. As such, the Huntsville plant had a long and successful history of developing and producing solid rocket motors for interceptor missiles such as the MIM-14 Nike Hercules, CIM-10 BOMARC, LIM-49 Nike Zeus, LIM-49A Spartan, and MIM-104 Patriot, as well as motors for tactical missiles such as the MGM-29 Sergeant, MGM-31 Pershing, AIM-9L/M Sidewinder, AGM-114 Hellfire, AGM-65 Maverick, and RIM-67C Standard Missile. Thiokol Huntsville also made significant propulsion contributions to our nation's manned and unmanned space launch activities, from NASA's "Little Joe" Mercury capsule test vehicle in 1959 to the development and production of the Castor series of space launch boosters that are still produced today in Utah. In 1996, as a result of a declining tactical propulsion market and corporate decision to consolidate some operations, Thiokol closed the Huntsville Division. The history, achievements, facilities, products, and notable events and milestones from the 47-year history of Thiokol's Huntsville Division are described.