Aimed At Reducing Risks In Service On Manned Capsule 

Aerojet tells ANN it successfully completed a hot-fire testing program of NASA's Orion Crew Module's 160 lb. thrust mono-propellant engine. Test program objectives were met by demonstrating pulse mode operation of the engine at expected Orion flight conditions.

The altitude/pulse mode hot fire test program consisted of 87 engine starts (exceeding the specification requirement), 2,118 engine pulses (exceeding the previous qualification and nearly three times the specification requirement), and more than 400 lbs. of propellant throughput (approximately two and half times the specification requirement). The testing concluded not only with the objectives met but with life remaining on the engine, indicating that the MR-104G, with upgraded thrust, will meet the required Orion pulse mode operating conditions.

"Risk reduction testing of the Orion thrusters continues to be a highly successful collaboration between NASA, Lockheed Martin and Aerojet. This will result in early retirement of key program risks," said Doug Cosens, Aerojet's Project Orion Program director. "The data derived from this test series will allow mission designers to anchor their models with very high confidence."

Aerojet will provide propulsion for NASA's Orion Crew Module as well as all engines aboard the Orion Service Module to prime contractor Lockheed Martin. The current Orion Crew Module flight configuration includes 12 MR-104G engines operating at 160 lbs. thrust. The MR-104G engine family originally provided in-space propulsion for the Voyager 1 and 2 and Magellan missions. Subsequent MR-104G variants provided propulsion for Landsat and NOAA satellites as well as other US government programs.

The Orion crew exploration vehicle will be the flagship of NASA's Constellation Program, which is comprised of the spacecraft and systems that will carry astronauts to the International Space Station and conduct sustained human exploration of the moon and Mars. The first crewed mission of Orion is currently scheduled for spring 2015.

Owned by GenCorp, Aerojet is a world-recognized aerospace and defense leader principally serving the missile and space propulsion, defense and armaments markets.

FMI: www.aerojet.com, www.gencorp.com