Washington, DC \/PRNewswire-USNewswire\/ - NASA has selected Aerojet ofSacramento, Calif., for a$23.3 millioncontract to develop engineering demonstrations and risk reduction concepts for future advanced boosters for the agency's Space Launch System (SLS). <\/p>\n
Aerojet is one of four companies contracted under a NASA Research Announcement (NRA) to improve the affordability, reliability and performance of an advanced booster for a future version of the SLS heavy-lift rocket. <\/p>\n
The SLS vehicle will take the agency's Orion spacecraft and other payloads farther than ever before. The initial 70-metric-ton (77-ton) configuration will use two five-segment solid rocket boosters similar to the boosters that helped power the space shuttle to orbit. An evolved 130-metric-ton (143-ton) rocket will require an advanced booster with more thrust than any existing U.S. liquid- or solid-fueled boosters. <\/p>\n
Aerojet will work to reduce the risk and improve technical maturation of a liquid oxygen and kerosene oxidizer-rich staged-combustion engine. The company will fabricate a representative full-scale 550,000-pound thrust class main injector and thrust chamber, and prepare to conduct a number of tests measuring performance and demonstrating combustion stability. <\/p>\n
In addition to Aerojet, three other companies are under contract to develop SLS advanced booster contracts including ATK Launch Systems Inc. ofBrigham City, Utah; Dynetics Inc. ofHuntsville, Ala.; and Northrop Grumman Corporation Aerospace Systems ofRedondo Beach, Calif.These new initiatives will perform and examine advanced booster concepts and hardware demonstrations during an approximate 30-month period. <\/p>\n
While commercial partners seek to fly astronauts and payloads to the International Space Station, NASA's SLS, with an uncrewed Orion spacecraft, will begin the first step towards deep space on a flight test in 2017. <\/p>\n
NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center inHuntsville, Ala., manages the SLS Program for the agency. NASA's Johnson Space Flight Center inHoustonmanages Orion. SLS will launch from NASA'sKennedy Space CenterinFlorida. <\/p>\n
For information about NASA's Space Launch System, visit:http:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/sls<\/a> <\/p>\n SOURCE: NASA <\/p>\n <\/p>\n See the original post here:<\/p>\n NASA Awards Final Space Launch System Advanced Booster Contract<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Washington, DC \/PRNewswire-USNewswire\/ - NASA has selected Aerojet ofSacramento, Calif., for a$23.3 millioncontract to develop engineering demonstrations and risk reduction concepts for future advanced boosters for the agency's Space Launch System (SLS). Continue reading