What Happened
Successful Test Advances Program Toward Critical Design Review
Lockheed Martin has successfully completed a critical burst test of the Next Generation Interceptor’s second-stage motor case, advancing the program toward Critical Design Review later this year. The test validated the composite structure’s strength-to-weight ratio, confirming it can survive the extreme launch environment. The NGI program aims to enable a more capable Ground-Based Midcourse Defense architecture, with fielding expected by 2030. This development was announced by Lockheed Martin.