Aerojet, a GenCorp (NYSE:GY) company, announced that its engines contributed to Space Shuttle Discovery’s (STS-131) on-orbit operations and successful docking to the International Space Station (ISS). Discovery lifted off on April 5 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and docked with the ISS today.
On this 33rd shuttle mission to the ISS, Discovery will deliver the Leonardo Multi-purpose Logistics Module for the station’s laboratories. Several space walks are planned: two maintenance-affiliated duties and one to collect a Japanese experiment from the station’s exterior.
Aerojet’s Orbital Maneuvering Engines, 38 primary and six Vernier thrusters on each Orbiter, as well as gas generators supporting the Auxiliary Power Units, have flown on every shuttle mission since its launch inception in 1981. This technology is critical to the shuttle’s maneuvering abilities, the external tank separation, control of the entry vehicle and de-orbit efforts.
“Aerojet is proud to be a partner in yet another successful shuttle launch to the ISS,” said GenCorp President & CEO and Aerojet President, Scott Seymour. “Delivering additional equipment to the ISS is of paramount importance to our nation’s future science capabilities.”
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.
