Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne and RD AMROSS powered the launch of a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, yesterday on a mission to release a U.S. military satellite into space. Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne (PWR) is a United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX) company.
The Atlas V cryogenic upper stage is powered by PWR’s RL10 engine; the booster stage is powered by the RD AMROSS RD-180 engine. RD AMROSS is a joint venture of Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne and NPO Energomash.
“Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne is pleased to provide reliable propulsion to the entire launch sequence and the successful release of the Wideband Global SATCOM Spacecraft in support of our military,” said Graham Webb, general manager, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne Florida and Mississippi operations. “The NPO Energomash, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne and RD AMROSS team is very proud to be a part of United Launch Alliance’s mission success for the Atlas V and U. S. government customers,” said Jerry Josef, president and CEO, RD AMROSS.
The RL10 has helped place numerous military, civil and commercial satellites into orbit and powered historic space probe missions to every planet in our solar system. The Atlas V Centaur uses an RL10A-4-2 model.
The RD-180 delivers nearly 1 million pounds of thrust, and continues to be flight proven on the Atlas III and V launch vehicles with 17 consecutive launches for 100 percent mission success. The RD-180 is the only liquid oxygen-kerosene fueled engine with an oxygen-rich staged combustion cycle flying in the U.S. today.
Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, Inc., a part of Pratt & Whitney, is a preferred provider of high-value propulsion, power, energy and innovative system solutions used in a wide variety of government and commercial applications, including the main engines for the space shuttle, Atlas and Delta launch vehicles, missile defense systems and advanced hypersonic engines.
RD AMROSS, LLC is a U.S. joint venture between Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne and NPO Energomash of Khimky, Russia. NPO Energomash manufactures the RD-180 for RD AMROSS, and is a world leader in designing, manufacturing, testing, and providing services for liquid propulsion rocket engines. Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines, space propulsion systems and industrial gas turbines. United Technologies, based in Hartford, Conn., is a diversified company providing high technology products and services to the global aerospace and building industries.
