Aerojet, a GenCorp (NYSE:GY) company, announced today that its engines have supported STS-129’s on-orbit operations and docking to the International Space Station (ISS). Atlantis lifted off Monday from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
On this 11-day mission, the STS-129 crew plans to make three space walks; one of which will be to install two platforms to the station’s truss. The crew will also store spare parts hardware on the outside of the station.
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. “This mission is critical to the sustainment of the International Space Station after the shuttle fleet has been retired,” said Aerojet’s Executive Director of Strategic Communications, Glenn Mahone. Aerojet engines and thrusters are also planned for use on Orion and Ares – the new human space flight programs under development at NASA.
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/.
