Overview
- Lockheed Martin and L3Harris reported that the NGI Stage 2 solid rocket motor completed a static‑fire inside a high‑vacuum chamber and that a separate motor‑case burst test confirmed structural margins.
- Test data showed the motor met key performance metrics including thrust, chamber pressure, and combustion stability under simulated low‑Earth‑orbit conditions.
- Program officials say those results reduce a principal technical risk and support an objective to clear the Critical Design Review by the end of 2026 and keep fielding on track for 2030.
- The NGI program was awarded under an $18 billion MDA contract and Lockheed is spending millions to expand purpose‑built manufacturing capacity in Alabama to prepare for production.
- Oversight questions remain because the Government Accountability Office excluded NGI from its 2026 weapons assessment due to missing long‑term cost and schedule baselines, leaving schedule and budget oversight incomplete.