LOCAL NEWS

Utahns Taking Steps For More ‘Giant Leaps’

Jul 18, 2019, 7:25 PM | Updated: Jul 19, 2019, 11:21 am

PROMONTORY, Utah — When Neil Armstrong took the first human step on the moon and unforgettably labeled it “one giant leap for mankind,” Charlie Precourt was just 14 years old watching on TV with pretty much the whole world.

“For me it was very exciting,” Precourt said recently. “I thought right then and there I’d love to be doing what they’re doing.”

Saturday will mark 50 years since Armstrong’s historic walk in 1969, but very few followed in his famous footsteps. Only 11 other astronauts walked on the moon, the last in 1972. The nation abandoned its Apollo program when Precourt was 17 and no one ever went back to the moon.

A new mission for Utah’s boosters

Precourt got only part way there, earning his stripes as an astronaut on four space shuttle missions in the 1990s. Now he’s leading an effort by hundreds of workers in Utah aimed at finally giving humans a return ticket to the moon and, perhaps, to Mars.

“Well, you know,” he said to several Northrop Grumman employees as he pointed to one of the company’s huge booster segments, “the new plan is, these things are going to the moon.”

He is general manager of propulsion systems for the company. It’s one of numerous contractors building the so-called Space Launch System, an enormous rocket that could go to the moon and possibly beyond. Precourt thinks Armstrong and the rest of the Apollo team would be pleased.

“They would be delighted to see we’re on the cusp of doing it again,” he said, “likely to ask, ‘What’s taken so long?’ But we want to get there and be a sustainable exploration enterprise when we do.”

Northrop Grumman now owns the rocket works previously known as Thiokol and, later, Alliant Techsystems or ATK. For three decades the Box Elder County facility built the boosters that helped blast the space shuttles into orbit. Now, a new mission is beckoning.

Assembling the launch system in Florida

In the gigantic building at Cape Canaveral known as the VAB, NASA’s Vehicle Assembly Building, Utah-made boosters will be strapped to the giant SLS rocket for a test flight possibly as early as next year.

“It’s taller than the Statue of Liberty,” said Kay Anderson, Northrop Grumman’s communications manager as she gazed toward the upper reaches of the VAB where the SLS will top out at 322 feet.”

On launch day when everything lights up — including the Utah boosters on the side — it promises to be quite a show.

“It will knock your socks off, no doubt about it,” Precourt said. Each booster will have five segments that have been adapted from their earlier mission.

“These segments were used on space shuttles,” Anderson said. “They were recovered and refurbished for use on the Space Launch System.”

Near the lofty top of the SLS will be a large crew vehicle called the Orion capsule. It could take astronauts to the moon as early as 2024, if the timetable laid out by President Donald Trump holds up. Skeptics in Congress have expressed doubts, noting that the project already has a history of delays.

Critics have also questioned the fact that the boosters will not be recovered and reused as they were on space shuttle missions. But Precourt defends that choice because economic analysis showed it’s the most cost-efficient approach.

“We made a decision to make these expendable,” Precourt said, “and not have the expense of refurbishment and recovery piled on to the program.”

A Utah-made escape system

Northrop Grumman employees in Utah are making another important component: a small rocket that will be perched on the very top of the SLS, attached to the crew-carrying Orion capsule.

“This part is the launch abort motor that’s manufactured in Utah,” Anderson said, showing off a version of the rocket that NASA has on display near the VAB. NASA officials hope it will never be used because it’s designed to function only in the case of a dire emergency. Its purpose is to save the crew.

“It’s like an ejection seat of a fighter aircraft,” Precourt said. “We actually extract the entire capsule off the top of the rocket if something should go wrong.”

A stepping stone to Mars

Assuming nothing does go wrong, the Orion capsule will head to the moon to establish sustainable research facilities.

“It’s a stepping stone, if you will,” Anderson said, envisioning future SLS missions to the red planet, Mars.

“But beyond moon and Mars,” Precourt said, “there’s also this thought that we might find life somewhere else in the universe. And one of the more intriguing places to go would be the moon of Jupiter known as Europa.”

That dream of going back to the moon — and beyond — keeps over a hundred Northrop Grumman workers busy in Florida. About a thousand people work part-time on the project in Utah, the equivalent of 500 full-time positions, jobs that could continue for decades if the dream stays alive.

“You know, to go back to the moon is something that I didn’t think I would see in my lifetime,” Anderson said. “And so, to go to the moon and then on to Mars is enormously exciting to me.”

Precourt will almost certainly never fulfill his teenage dream of getting to the moon. But if NASA should ever ask him to fly again?

“Sign me up,” he said. “Absolutely, I’d go in a heartbeat.”

KSL 5 TV Live

Local News

Police confirmed Monday they were investigating whether the same driver was responsible for multipl...

Andrew Adams

Police investigate whether same driver is responsible for multiple hit-and-runs

Police confirmed Monday they were investigating whether the same driver was responsible for multiple hit-and-run collisions.

2 hours ago

two men sit at a table and look at a phone...

Matt Gephardt

Imposters stealing Utah restaurant names to deceive drivers and customers on food delivery apps

When a popular Provo pizzeria couldn’t get a food delivery app to remove an impostor account, the owners decided to Get Gephardt to investigate.

3 hours ago

The spring homebuying season is here, and realtor Alicia Holdaway says Utah’s housing market is g...

Daniel Woodruff

What’s changing in Utah’s housing market after real estate lawsuit settlement

The spring homebuying season is here, and realtor Alicia Holdaway says Utah’s housing market is getting busy.

4 hours ago

One of Utah County's three commissioners has been battling a tumor causing him to miss a series of ...

Lindsay Aerts

Utah County Commission chair calls for resignation of Tom Sakievich over ability to work

One of Utah County's three commissioners has been battling a tumor causing him to miss a series of recent commission meetings and other county work.

4 hours ago

A Weber County family is mourning the loss of a 28-year-old man killed in a wrong way crash early S...

Garna Mejia

Family grieves the loss of a man killed in Sunday’s wrong-way crash

A Weber County family is mourning the loss of a 28-year-old man killed in a wrong-way crash early Sunday morning.

6 hours ago

The motorcycle accident that happened near 350 South 200 East....

Michael Houck

Motorcyclist crash closes road in Salt Lake City

Police say a critical injury crash involving a motorcyclist has closed a road in downtown Salt Lake City.

6 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

Modern chandelier hanging from a white slanted ceiling with windows in the backgruond...

Lighting Design

Light Up Your Home With These Top Lighting Trends for 2024

Check out the latest lighting design trends for 2024 and tips on how you can incorporate them into your home.

Technician woman fixing hardware of desktop computer. Close up....

PC Laptops

Tips for Hassle-Free Computer Repairs

Experiencing a glitch in your computer can be frustrating, but with these tips you can have your computer repaired without the stress.

Close up of finger on keyboard button with number 11 logo...

PC Laptops

7 Reasons Why You Should Upgrade Your Laptop to Windows 11

Explore the benefits of upgrading to Windows 11 for a smoother, more secure, and feature-packed computing experience.

Stylish room interior with beautiful Christmas tree and decorative fireplace...

Lighting Design

Create a Festive Home with Our Easy-to-Follow Holiday Prep Guide

Get ready for festive celebrations! Discover expert tips to prepare your home for the holidays, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere for unforgettable moments.

Battery low message on mobile device screen. Internet and technology concept...

PC Laptops

9 Tips to Get More Power Out of Your Laptop Battery

Get more power out of your laptop battery and help it last longer by implementing some of these tips from our guide.

Users display warnings about the use of artificial intelligence (AI), access to malicious software ...

Les Olson

How to Stay Safe from Cybersecurity Threats

Read our tips for reading for how to respond to rising cybersecurity threats in 2023 and beyond to keep yourself and your company safe.

Utahns Taking Steps For More ‘Giant Leaps’