Aerojet, a GenCorp (NYSE:GY) company, celebrates NASA’s successful launch of the Space Shuttle last night from Kennedy Space Center on its 28th mission to the International Space Station. Aerojet propulsion is used to support the launch, for on-orbit operations and during landing.
Discovery’s 14-day mission to the station will include four space walks by the crew who will also install a S6 truss segment to the station and deploy its solar arrays.
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. “The entire Aerojet team is proud of the success record of our shuttle propulsion products — a record that has allowed us to adapt and carry these product lines forward in the design of NASA’s Orion spacecraft,” said Aerojet’s Orion Program Director, Doug Cosens. 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/.
