Aerojet, a GenCorp (NYSE: GY) company, announced that its engine helped propel today’s Delta II launch vehicle from Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) in California, putting the Ball Aerospace-built WorldView-2 imaging satellite into orbit. The satellite will collect and record high resolution commercial Earth imagery from space.
Under contract to the United Launch Alliance, Aerojet provides the Delta II rocket’s liquid second stage engine. The United Launch Alliance supplies the Delta II launch vehicle and other mission services to Boeing Launch Services, under contract with satellite imagery company, DigitalGlobe (NYSE: DGI – News).
This same engine has supported launches of critical NASA missions such as MESSENGER, Phoenix Mars Lander, GLAST, THEMIS, STEREO, Deep Impact and the Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) spacecraft as well as the USAF Global Positioning System (GPS) Block IIR fleet. This particular engine’s launch history began in 1958 when Aerojet provided second stage propulsion for the Vanguard-1 mission.
“It is a privilege to be part of such a great team that provides a high reliability vehicle to both government and commercial users,” said Richard Yanick, director of Delta II and Space Tank Production Programs. “This is an important mission for DigitalGlobe and we are glad to have played an important role in their venture.”
Aerojet is a world-recognized aerospace and defense leader principally serving the missile and space propulsion, defense and armaments markets. GenCorp is a leading technology-based manufacturer of aerospace and defense products and systems with a real estate segment that includes activities related to the entitlement, sale, and leasing of the company’s excess real estate assets. Additional information about Aerojet and GenCorp can be obtained by visiting the companies’ Web sites at http://www.Aerojet.com and http://www.GenCorp.com.
