CANOGA PARK, Calif., June 20 — Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne helped scientists better understand global warming and hurricane prediction by successfully boosting the 1,100-pound Jason 2 satellite into orbit from Vandenberg Air Force Base today. Jason 2 is onboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket powered by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne’s RS-27A engine. It was the 223rd consecutive successful mission for a launch vehicle powered by the RS-27 family of engines. Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne is a United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX) company.
The new satellite is a joint effort by NASA and the French Space Agency (CNES) to study rising sea levels and their potential link to global warming. Jason 2, also known as the Ocean Surface Topography Mission, is the third in a series of satellites to track global sea levels for climate studies. It will monitor global ocean circulation, explore the tie between oceans and the atmosphere, improve global climate predictions, and monitor events such as El Nino and ocean eddies.
“It’s incredibly rewarding to know we’re playing a part in better understanding issues related to global warming and severe weather patterns,” said Elizabeth Jones, program manager for the RS-27. “Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne is proud to support NASA and CNES in their efforts to better understand and take care of our planet.”
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.
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.
