XCOR Aerospace announced today that it had won a $3.3 million contract with ATK as part of ATK’s contract to develop low-cost LOX/methane rocket propulsion for NASA.
Together with ATK, XCOR will develop the initial workhorse version of a 7,500 lbf LOX/methane engine for NASA’s Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV). ATK will use the workhorse engine as a basis for development of the final flight- weight hardware. These engines are being designed to return the CEV from Lunar orbit to the Earth, and to perform in-space maneuvering.
Said XCOR’s president, Jeff Greason, “We are very excited about the opportunity to contribute to NASA’s exploration program in such a significant way. We are proud that NASA selected our team over many more traditional rocket engine suppliers.”
Since its inception in 1999, XCOR has designed, built, and tested several different rocket engines, including a 50 lbf LOX/methane engine and an 1,800 lbf LOX/hydrocarbon engine which are highly relevant to this program. Under DARPA sponsorship, XCOR also designed a 10,000 lbf LOX/methane engine which will form the basis for the design of the NASA CEV LOX/methane engine.
ATK is a $3.3 billion advanced weapon and space systems company employing approximately 15,000 people in 23 states. News and information can be found on the Internet at www.atk.com.
XCOR Aerospace is a California corporation located in Mojave, California. The company is in the business of developing and producing safe, reliable and reusable rocket engines, rocket propulsion systems, and rocket powered vehicles. News and information can be found on the Internet at www.xcor.com
