May Be Used On Orion Manned Space Vehicle

Aerojet, a core propulsion provider for NASA's new Orion space exploration vehicle, as well as several Missile Defense Agency propulsion programs, tells ANN it recently conducted an internally funded test firing of large-scale controllable solid rocket motors.

Controllable solid rocket motors combine the simplicity of using solid propellants with the flexibility normally associated with use of liquid propellants. Aerojet said the test resulted in the largest successful firing of the company's controllable solids product line using a high-power electromechanical valve control system.

The electromechanical valve control system is being developed by Aerojet to provide faster responding, smaller and more reliable controllable solids that can be used on larger scale applications, like Orion, and will reduce development risks for controllable solids.

"In addition to proving the electromechanical valve control system, this test successfully concludes a one year effort to demonstrate a lower cost method of fabricating the high temperature device used to control thrust and flow direction in our controllable solid products," said Aerojet vice president of Space Programs, Julie Van Kleeck. "Aerojet is making steady progress toward improving the performance, cost and reliability of our controllable solids products."

Aerojet's controllable solid product line is used to stabilize the flight of space vehicles used in missile defense and by NASA.

Currently the only company manufacturing and delivering controllable solids products for operational vehicles, Aerojet says it will continue to develop new capabilities to produce enhanced controllable solids for NASA and other future missile defense applications.

FMI: www.aerojet.com