Moog Inc. Space and Defense Group provided propulsion control to four NASA Magnetospheric Multiscale mission (MMS) satellites that have launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The spacecraft will study how magnetic fields around Earth connect and disconnect, explosively releasing energy via a process known as magnetic reconnection.
Moog delivered 17 monopropellant MONARC-5 thrusters to NASA Goddard Space Flight Center for the satellites. Following DSCOVR and SMAP, the MMS mission marks the third in 2015 using MONARC-5 thrusters to provide attitude control. In addition, MMS will add to the long heritage and great success of the MONARC-5 engine since its inception over 30 years ago. Moog also delivered 38 fill and drain valves, which aid in ensuring high reliability of the propulsion system, crucial to accurate positioning of the spacecraft.
In addition, Moog provided the Inlet Valves and Propellant Utilization (PU) Motor for the main Oxidizer Control Valve on the RL10 upper stage engine and the Control Valves for the Roll Control Module (RCM) Thrusters.