Новости Aerojet Rocketdyne

[Александр Ч.]

Похоже в AJ советские доки усвоили и готовы выкатить свой аналог НК-33.

[Теплотехник]

Salo пишет "А где второй?"

Там же, где и третий. Вижу один основной и два бустерных...

[Александр Ч.]

Aerojet Rocketdyne says AR1 engine is best fit for Atlas 5
[SIZE=-2]BY WILLIAM HARWOOD
STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS "SPACE PLACE" & USED WITH PERMISSION
Posted: October 1, 2014[/SIZE]



Aerojet Rocketdyne is pressing ahead with development of a powerful new rocket engine that company officials believe will be an attractive alternative to the Russian-built RD-180 engine that now powers the first stage of United Launch Alliance's workhorse Atlas 5 booster.

[SIZE=-2]Aerojet Rocketdyne's AR1 engine, a proposed replacement for the Russian-built RD-180 engine. Credit: Aerojet Rocketdyne[/SIZE]
 
Despite a flawless launch record, the RD-180 has come under fire in the wake of Russia's annexation of Crimea and the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, with critics arguing political uncertainty and increasing discord between the United States and Russia could put downstream launches of high-priority national security payloads at risk.
On Sept. 17, ULA announced that it was partnering with Blue Origin, a company owned by Amazon-founder Jeff Bezos, to develop an RD-180 replacement known as the BE-4, an engine that will develop 550,000 pounds of thrust burning oxygen with liquified natural gas.
Using two BE-4 engines in the Atlas 5's first stage, the rocket would produce 1.1 million pounds of liftoff thrust compared to 860,000 pounds of sea level thrust generated by the RD-180. Full-scale testing of the new engine is expected in 2016 with initial flight tests in 2019.
ULA President and CEO Tory Bruno said his company studied a variety of engine alternatives, adding "we cast a pretty wide net, we went to everybody in the industry."
"We sel ected Blue for a couple of reasons," he said. "First, they are way ahead. They have this innovative technology. Of course, this is rocketry and I have contingency plans, but this is my partner, and I'm expecting Jeff to succeed."
While Bruno did not specify what "contingency plans" ULA had if Blue Origin does not succeed with the BE-4, Aerojet Rocketdyne announced Monday that it had finalized a contract with ULA to complete detailed design studies, develop production targets and cost estimates for three liquid-fueled rocket engines and solid-fuel strap-on boosters intended to power the next generation of ULA's Atlas 5 and Delta 4 rockets.
Two of those engines already power the Delta 4 and the upper stage of the Atlas 5. The third engine is the AR1, which will generate 500,000 pounds of thrust using oxygen and refined kerosene rocket fuel. Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine reported in June that Aerojet Rocketdyne was targeting the cost of a pair of AR1s at $25 million or less.
Despite ULA's arrangement with Blue Origin, Paul Meyer, Aerojet Rocketdyne senior vice president for advanced programs and business development, told CBS News in a telephone interview Tuesday that "we still view ourselves as the lowest-risk, highest-probability-of-success option."
"We're not giving up the ghost" in the wake of the Blue Origin announcement, he said. "We know what's facing everybody, and that's what we told the Air Force. ... So we're in the game. Competition doesn't scare us."
Unlike the BE-4, which uses different propellants and would require more extensive changes to the Atlas 5 first stage, the AR1 "would require minimal changes to the (rocket), its ground support equipment and launch infrastructure," Aerojet Rocketdyne said in a statement.
"The AR1's flexible, modular design allows the engine to be configured to support multiple launch vehicles, providing a U.S.-designed and manufactured propulsion system for the Atlas 5 that can be easily adapted to power other current and future government and commercial launch vehicles," the company said.
United Launch Alliance is a partnership between Boeing, designer of the Delta family of rockets, and Lockheed Martin, which designed the Atlas. The latest versions of both were developed for the Air Force primarily to launch spy satellites, military communications stations, navigation beacons and other national security payloads.
The Atlas 5 also is used to launch NASA planetary probes and occasional commercial satellites. The rocket has chalked up a flawless flight record -- 49 successful flights in a row -- since its debut in 2002.
But Elon Musk, chairman and chief designer of rival rocket builder SpaceX, has launched an aggressive attack on the Atlas 5 and its dependence on Russian propulsion technology. He also has filed a lawsuit challenging an Air Force block-buy contract with ULA, claiming his company's Falcon 9 rocket was unfairly excluded fr om consideration.
On Wednesday, Aerojet Rocketdyne announced it had submitted a formal response to an Air Force request for information "on options for future booster propulsion and launch systems that could be used as alternatives to foreign-supplied RD-180 engines."
The company said its objective is "to minimize the total lifecycle costs of national security space launches while ensuring a commercially competitive U.S. space launch enterprise that is no longer reliant on foreign suppliers."
"Rapid development and certification of the AR1 will take place at existing manufacturing and test facilities with delivery of a flight-qualified engine planned by 2019," the company said.

http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n1410/01ar1engine/

[Salo]

http://www.spacenews.com/article/financial-report/42180aerojet-rocketdyne-takes-loss-on-aj-26-engine-problems

Aerojet Rocketdyne Takes Loss on AJ-26 Engine Problems  
By Jeff Foust | Oct. 13, 2014

WASHINGTON — The parent company of Aerojet Rocketdyne announced Oct. 10 that it took a $17.5 million loss in its latest fiscal quarter because of issues with the AJ-26 rocket engine that it provides for Orbital Sciences Corp.'s Antares launch vehicle.
Rancho Cordova, California-based GenCorp Inc. reported a net loss in the company's fiscal third quarter, which ended Aug. 31, of $9.5 million.
In filings submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) after the markets closed Oct. 10, the company also reported a net loss for the year to date of $61.8 million.
GenCorp singled out the AJ-26 engine, a refurbished version of the Soviet-era NK-33, as a major reason for the loss. The company said it took pre-tax contract loss of $17.5 million on the program in the latest quarter, and $31.4 million loss on the program for the year to date.
In its SEC filing, GenCorp blamed the loss on "the cost to repair or replace engines as necessary in light of the previously reported engine test failures," a likely reference to a May 22 test-stand failure of an AJ-26 engine at the NASA Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. The company also cited the costs of increased hardware inspections of engines yet to be delivered, repairs to the test stand and costs associated with delayed engine deliveries.
Aerojet Rocketdyne has a contract with Orbital to provide 20 AJ-26 engines, two of which are used in the first stage of the Antares launch vehicle. Aerojet has delivered 10 of those engines, including the two installed on the Antares scheduled to launch Oct. 24 from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at Wallops Island, Virginia, on a resupply mission to the international space station.
Neither Aerojet nor Orbital have disclosed details regarding the cause of the May test failure. Speaking at the 65th International Astronautical Congress in Toronto Sept. 30, Frank Culbertson, executive vice president and general manager of Orbital's Advanced Programs Group, said investigators had narrowed down the failure to two potential root causes, but did not discuss them. Both potential causes can be screened for during engine inspections, he said.
Repairs to the Stennis test stand, Culbertson said, have been completed, and engine tests are scheduled to resume in October. "We had to replace a number of components, but everybody worked hard to turn that around so we could get back to testing," Culbertson said.
The future of the AJ-26 is unclear. Orbital is considering several possible replacement alternatives, including solid rocket motors from ATK, for the next block of Antares vehicles. Orbital this year announced that it would acquire ATK's Aerospace group in a deal expected to close before the end of the year.
Culbertson said Orbital would make a decision before it submitted a proposal to NASA for the follow-on to the Commercial Resupply Services contract for delivering cargo to the international space station. The proposal deadline is Nov. 14.
GenCorp's SEC filing made no mention of two other recent developments affecting the company. On Sept. 17, United Launch Alliance announced a partnership with Blue Origin to develop a new engine to replace the RD-180 used on the Atlas 5 rocket's first stage. Aerojet has been shopping its own RD-180 alternative, dubbed the AR1, which it says could be ready to fly within four years at a cost of less than $1 billion.
On Sept. 29, Aerojet Rocketdyne said it signed a contract with ULA for studies of several engines, including the AR1 Both announcements took place after the company's fiscal third quarter ended Aug. 31.
Despite the loss the company reported for the third quarter, GenCorp stock was up nearly 3 percent on the New York Stock Exchange at the close of trading Oct. 13.

[Seerndv]

Так внятно и не прозвучало что нарыли после последнего казуса на стенде.

[Salo]

http://www.ballaerospace.com/page.jsp?page=30&id=610

News Releases
Media Contact: Roz Brown or call 303-939-6146
Ball Aerospace Green Propellant Infusion Mission to Host Three Defense Department Space Experiments
October 15, 2014

 
Boulder, Colo., Oct. 15, 2014 – The NASA and Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. Green Propellant Infusion Mission (GPIM) will fly three Defense Department experimental hosted payloads aboard the when it launches in 2016. GPIM's mission will validate a non-toxic fuel for future satellite missions, which could replace hydrazine and provide additional performance benefits.
The Department of Defense (DOD) Space Experiments Review Board (SERB) sel ected the three payloads to fly on GPIM. The SERB chooses experiments based on a high potential to provide new or enhanced warfighting capabilities for the DOD.
"This cooperative effort is an outstanding example of government organizations working with industry to solve technology challenges," said Jim Oschmann, vice president and general manager for Ball's Civil Space and Technologies business unit.
The GPIM recently completed spacecraft is based on the successful STPSat-2 and STPSat-3 satellites built for the U.S. Air Force. Two of the three SERB payloads sel ected to fly aboard GPIM previously flew on STPSat-3, which launched in 2013. This is the third time Ball has integrated SERB payloads to small spacecraft bus platforms. Ball's series of small satellites are designed to host a minimum of four independent payloads.
"The GPIM spacecraft capitalizes on Ball's experience with STPSat-3 to maximize the reuse of engineering and minimize risk in the development timeline," said Oschmann.
 In addition to the primary GPIM payload being developed at Aerojet Rocketdyne, the three DOD payloads sel ected to fly aboard the project include:  
 

[/li]
• Integrated Miniaturized Electrostatic Analyzer Reflight (iMESA-R), a U.S. Air Force Academy mission designed to measure plasma densities and temperatures
• Small Wind and Temperature Spectrometer (SWATS), a Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) mission to provide in-situ, co-located measurements of the atmospheric neutral and ion density, composition, temperature, and winds on a global scale
• Space Object Self-tracker (SOS), a pathfinder experiment built by the U.S. Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) to decrease space collisions
  

The integration contract is valued at $3.4 million and extends the mission duration of GPIM fr om two months to a year.
 
GPIM is a technology demonstration mission managed by the Space Technology Mission Directorate at NASA. Ball is leading the on-orbit test of a new Hydroxyl Ammonium Nitrate propellant blend, AF-M315E, developed by U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory at Edwards Air Force Base. As the prime contractor and principal investigator, Ball collaborates with a team of co-investigators fr om Aerojet Rocketdyne, NASA Glenn Research Center, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA Kennedy Space Center and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory at Edwards Air Force Base, with additional mission support fr om the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center at Kirtland Air Force Base on the GPIM project.
Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. supports critical missions for national agencies such as the Department of Defense, NASA, NOAA and other U.S. government and commercial entities. The company develops and manufactures spacecraft, advanced instruments and sensors, components, data exploitation systems and RF solutions for strategic, tactical and scientific applications. For more information, visit //www.ballaerospace.com.
Ball Corporation (NYSE: BLL) supplies innovative, sustainable packaging solutions for beverage, food and household products customers, as well as aerospace and other technologies and services primarily for the U.S. government. Ball Corporation and its subsidiaries employ 14,500 people worldwide and reported 2013 sales of $8.5 billion. For more information, visit //www.ball.com or connect with us on Facebook or Twitter.
Forward-Looking Statements
 This release contains "forward-looking" statements concerning future events and financial performance. Words such as "expects," "anticipates," "estimates" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially fr om those expressed or implied. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Key risks and uncertainties are summarized in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Exhibit 99 in our Form 10-K, which are available on our website and at //www.sec.gov. Factors that might affect: a) our packaging segments include product demand fluctuations; availability/cost of raw materials; competitive packaging, pricing and substitution; changes in climate and weather; crop yields; competitive activity; failure to achieve productivity improvements or cost reductions; mandatory deposit or other restrictive packaging laws; changes in major customer or supplier contracts or loss of a major customer or supplier; political instability and sanctions; and changes in foreign exchange or tax rates; b) our aerospace segment include funding, authorization, availability and returns of government and commercial contracts; and delays, extensions and technical uncertainties affecting segment contracts; c) the company as a whole include those listed plus: changes in senior management; successful or unsuccessful acquisitions and divestitures; regulatory action or issues including tax, environmental, health and workplace safety, including U.S. FDA and other actions or public concerns affecting products filled in our containers, or chemicals or substances used in raw materials or in the manufacturing process; technological developments and innovations; litigation; strikes; labor cost changes; rates of return on assets of the company's defined benefit retirement plans; pension changes; uncertainties surrounding the U.S. government budget, sequestration and debt lim it; reduced cash flow; ability to achieve cost-out initiatives; interest rates affecting our debt.

[Salo]

http://aviationweek.com/space/final-sls-engines-are-still-unknown

Final SLS Engines Are Still An Unknown  
Heavy-lift exploration launcher is evolving during development
 Nov 21, 2014  Frank Morring, Jr. | Aviation Week & Space Technology

Work in Progress
 
NASA's go-as-you-can-pay approach to exploration-system development means the heavy-lift Space Launch System‭ (‬SLS‭) ‬in development to‭ ‬carry Orion beyond low Earth orbit and eventually on to Mars is very much a work in progress‭, ‬starting with the engines‭.‬
 

The flight SLS core stage is already in assembly using the largest friction-stir-weld tool ever built, which was finished in September. Credit NASA

The U.S‭. ‬space agency hopes new rocket engines built with additive manufacturing and other advanced techniques will help hold down powerplant costs‭. ‬For now‭, ‬however‭, ‬SLS engineers do not have a definite view of just how they will power the big new launcher once the 16‭ ‬surviving RS-25‭ ‬Space Shuttle Main Engines‭ (‬SSME‭) ‬are used and thrown away‭, ‬four at a time‭.‬
"The idea is at some point we will have to start making new engines‭, ‬and while we haven't completely settled on all the aspects of how you do that‭, ‬we do know that if we are going to use something like an RS-25‭ ‬we need to find ways to make it in less expensive ways‭,‬"‭ ‬says Todd May‭, ‬NASA's SLS program manager‭.‬
For now‭, ‬the focus is on the first version of the SLS‮—‬a 70-metric-ton capability that will use four of the surplus SSMEs‭, ‬upgraded with a new controller developed for the J-2X upper-stage engine‭. ‬The J-2X was developed for the terminated Ares I crew launcher and is at least temporarily mothballed because it is not needed yet‭.‬
NASA has two missions planned for the 70-ton SLS‭: ‬Exploration Mission-1‭ (‬EM-1‭) ‬around the Moon with an unmanned Orion crew vehicle‭, ‬and EM-2‭ ‬on the same trajectory with a crew‭. ‬An instrumented Orion test article is set to fly next month on a Delta IV Heavy‭, ‬while EM-1‭ ‬has slipped fr om late 2017‭ ‬into 2018‭ ‬because of issues building the test crew vehicle for the upcoming flight test‭ ‬and bringing the European Space Agency in as a supplier of major elements in the Orion Service Module‭, ‬according to Mark Geyer‭, ‬NASA's Orion program manager‭.‬
EM-2‭ ‬is targeted for 2021‭, ‬leaving enough SSMEs for two more flights after that‭. ‬By then‭, ‬says May‭, ‬some of the new manufacturing technologies may be far enough along to incorporate in a throwaway RD-25‭, ‬the designation for the reusable SSME‭.‬
One such technology is selective laser melting‭, ‬which uses metallic powder as the feedstock for a computer-guided laser-printing head to craft engine parts‭, ‬including some that cannot be manufactured with traditional machining‭. ‬May says laser melting can‭ ‬use‭ ‬"some of your most exotic metals ever‭,‬"‭ ‬such as Inconel 718‭, ‬to make rocket-engine turbines able to withstand high-temperature environments while rotating at 35,000‭ ‬rpm‭. ‬The agency is making designs available to vendors in an effort to foster industrial best practices that can be applied to a disposable version of the RS-25‭.‬
"Selective laser melting is one of those‭ [‬technologies that‭] ‬we intend to apply on the RS-25‭,‬"‭ ‬he says‭. ‬"We have a number of changes that have been waiting in the wings for years to reduce the price of that if we ever wanted to go to‭ ‬a throwaway version of the RS-25‭.‬"
Ultimately‭, ‬the 294,000-lb‭.-‬thrust J-2X engine may be too powerful for the SLS upper stage‭, ‬at least in the 105,000-ton Block IB‭ ‬intermediate variant en route to the 130-ton version needed for Mars missions‭. ‬"Essentially‭, ‬that stage wants to be about‭ [‬120,000‭ ‬lb‭. ‬thrust‭] ‬total‭,‬"‭ ‬May says‭, ‬and the agency is considering four RL-10s or two‭ ‬"60k-class"‭ ‬engines instead‭. ‬"That trade is still open‭,‬"‭ ‬May says‭. ‬"We recently put a‭ [‬request for information‭] ‬out to industry and we've gotten some data back‭. ‬We won't say yet quite what all we see‭, ‬but we're digesting that data now‭."‬
The agency is also planning a competition for the twin strap-on boosters that will lift the heaviest version of the SLS‭, ‬pitting‭ ‬the solid-fuel versions to be used in the early flights against a liquid-fueled engine that may have other applications as the‭ ‬U.S‭. ‬ponders a way to end its reliance on the Russian-built RD-180‭ ‬engine that powers the Atlas V‭.‬
"If it's liquids‭, ‬a large RP‭ [‬refined petroleum‭] ‬engine of some type looks like it would be the best solution for that‭,‬"‭ ‬May says‭. ‬"Then there are other people out there that want large RP or hydrocarbon boost engines for other purposes‭, ‬so that's one area wh ere we could see another engine coming on‭.‬"
A version of this article appears in the November 24 issue of Aviation Week & Space Technology.

[Salo]

Новый сайт:
http://www.rocket.com/aerospace

[Salo]

http://spacenews.com/gencorp-ceo-replaces-boley-as-aerojet-rocketdyne-president-2/

Aerojet Rocketdyne Replaces President
by Jeff Foust — February 13, 2015

Scott Seymour (center), chief executive of parent company GenCorp, announced he was taking over as president of Aerojet Rocketdyne from Warren M. Boley, Jr., effective immediately. Credit: Nasdaq photo  
 
WASHINGTON — The chief executive of the parent company of Aerojet Rocketdyne announced Feb. 13 that he is taking over as president of the space propulsion company as the firm faces financial challenges.
In a Feb. 13 internal memo to employees obtained by SpaceNews, Scott Seymour, chief executive of parent company GenCorp, announced he was taking over as president of Aerojet Rocketdyne from Warren M. Boley, Jr., effective immediately. The memo gave no reason for Boley's departure.
 
Warren Boley, who took over as president of Aerojet Rocketdyne in 2012, stepped down Feb. 13. Credit: Aerojet Rocketdyne.

Aerojet Rocketdyne spokesman Glenn Mahone confirmed the contents of the memo late Feb. 13, but said no formal announcement of the leadership change was planned before the end of the day.
In the memo, Seymour said he was retaining his position as chief executive of GenCorp as he takes over as president of Aerojet Rocketdyne, but offered few details about the transition. "On behalf of the leadership team, I sincerely thank Warren for his many contributions during his time with the company," he said in the memo. "We wish him all the best in his future endeavors."
Boley, who joined Aerojet as its president in July 2012, became president of Aerojet Rocketdyne in June 2013 when Aerojet completed its acquisition of Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne. Boley had worked for 27 years at Pratt & Whitney prior to joining Aerojet, including serving as president of its military engines division.
The leadership change comes after the company reported a loss in its latest fiscal year. In financial results reported Jan. 30, GenCorp reported a net loss of $53 million in fiscal year 2014, which ended Nov. 30, compared to net income of $167.9 million in fiscal year 2013. Nearly all of GenCorp's revenue comes from operations of Aerojet Rocketdyne.
GenCorp said part of that loss came from pre-tax cost growth of $23.6 million on the AJ-26 rocket engine, which Aerojet Rocketdyne had been providing to Orbital Sciences Corp. (now Orbital ATK) for its Antares rocket. That engine has been identified as the likely cause of an Oct. 28 Antares launch failure, and Orbital announced in December it was replacing the AJ-26 with the RD-181 engine built by Russia's NPO Energomash.
In filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Jan. 30, GenCorp warned that if the AJ-26 engine is found at fault in the Antares launch failure, "we may face significant claims for damages from Orbital which, if determined adversely to us, could have a material adverse effect on our operating results, financial condition, and/or cash flows."

[Salo]

http://spacenews.com/aerojet-rocketdyne-plans-consolidation-job-cuts-to-reduce-costs/

Aerojet Rocketdyne Plans Consolidation, Job Cuts To Reduce Costs
by Jeff Foust — March 10, 2015

Aerojet Rocketdyne plans to reduce the size of its headquarters in Sacramento, California, from 230,000 square meters to about 140,000 square meters. Credit: Google Maps  
 
WASHINGTON — Less than a month after changing its leadership, Aerojet Rocketdyne announced March 9 a four-year plan designed to reduce the company's costs by shrinking both its facilities and its workforce.
Under what the company calls its Competitive Improvement Program, the company plans by 2019 to reduce the footprint of its largest facility by 40 percent and reduce its workforce by 10 percent.
"Aerojet Rocketdyne has made a commitment to our customers and to the government to improve the affordability of our products," said Scott Seymour, president and chief executive of both Aerojet Rocketdyne and its parent company, GenCorp, in a statement announcing the plan.
"We believe that these actions are essential to improving both the near and long-term health and performance of our business, in the context of a highly competitive and resource-constrained market environment," he said.
The biggest effects of the plan will be on the company's headquarters near Sacramento, California. Aerojet Rocketdyne plans to reduce the size of its facilities there, which currently encompass more than 230,000 square meters, to about 140,000 square meters.
Aerojet Rocketdyne spokesman Glenn Mahone said March 10 that the company plans to move solid-rocket motor manufacturing work for three missile programs currently done at the Sacramento facility to company sites in Arkansas and Virginia. Other potential consolidations are under study across all the company's facilities, he said.
 
"This is a very difficult decision and I recognize the impact on our dedicated colleagues that will be affected," Aerojet Rocketdyne CEO and President Scott Semour said in reference to planned job cuts, which will reduce the company's workforce by 10 percent. Credit: Aerojet Rocketdyne

Aerojet Rocketdyne also plans to reduce its current workforce of more than 5,000 employees by 10 percent. Mahone said about 250 of the affected positions are in Sacramento. The company expects at least some of the job reductions to come through attrition, but he said that it was too soon to know how many employees, if any, would be laid off.
"This is a very difficult decision and I recognize the impact on our dedicated colleagues that will be affected," Seymour said in the statement, in reference to the planned job cuts.
In a March 10 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, GenCorp said it expects the consolidation plan to cost the company $110 million over the next four years. However, the company expects the plan to result in annual savings of $145 million starting in 2019.
The announcement comes less than a month after Seymour replaced Warren Boley as president of Aerojet Rocketdyne. The company offered no official explanation for the Feb. 13 leadership change, but it came two weeks after GenCorp reported a net loss of $53 million in fiscal year 2014. Nearly all of GenCorp's revenue comes from Aerojet Rocketdyne.
In a separate announcement March 9, GenCorp announced it will change its name to Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings, Inc. The company's ticker symbol on the New York Stock Exchange will change from GY to AJRD in late April.

[Salo]

http://www.spaceflightinsider.com/missions/commercial/3d-printed-components-for-ar1-rocket-engine-undergo-hot-fire-testing/

3D printed components for AR1 rocket engine undergo hot-fire testing         

Photo Credit: Aerojet Rocketdyne         
             
Jason Rhian
March 20th, 2015          
                                 
As Launch Service Providers and other aerospace firms develop new technology or utilize existing systems to increase their capabilities, decrease their production rates, and lower the cost of delivering payloads to orbit, there is one technology in particular that has surged to the forefront of producing hardware for use in spaceflight operations: additive manufacturing, more commonly known as "3D printing". Recent hot-fire tests conducted by Aerojet Rocktdyne on elements of the company's AR1 booster engine help to demonstrate just how far the technology has progressed.
The tests, carried out at Aerojet Rocketdyne's Sacremento test site, were conducted on the AR1′s main injector elements. A series of hot fires were carried out in the hopes that the AR1 booster engine can go into production sometime in 2019.
According to Aerojet Rocketdyne, the AR1 is a 500,000 lbf (2.2 MN) thrust-class liquid oxygen/kerosene booster engine, one being developed to provide the US market with an additional rocket engine. With the political issues that surround the Russian-made RD-180, having domestically-produced engines is considered a requirement.

Aerojet Rocketdyne 3D printed injector undergoes hot-fire testing. Photo Credit: Aerojet Rocketdyne
 
"We believe the AR1 is the best, most affordable option to eliminate U.S. dependence on foreign sources of propulsion while maintaining assured access to space for our nation's critical national security and civil space assets," said Linda Cova, executive director of Hydrocarbon Engine Programs at Aerojet Rocketdyne. The AR1 is designed to integrate with the Atlas V launch vehicle, as well as provide a versatile propulsion solution for multiple current and future launch vehicle applications. "When you consider the minimal changes to the Atlas V launch vehicle, launch pad and related infrastructure that are required with an AR1 solution, this approach is clearly the best path toward finding a replacement for the RD-180 and meeting the launch needs of our nation," said Cova. "We look forward to working with the U.S. government in a competitive procurement environment to bring this engine to market."
"Aerojet Rocketdyne is committed to delivering an RD-180 replacement by 2019, which is why the company is investing in the engine and inviting the Air Force, ULA, and other key stakeholders to all major reviews so that engine certification can occur in parallel," added Cova. The company has made progress toward utilizing this technology to "print" rocket engines. Some milestones the company has met include the following:
Completion of System Requirements Review;
Full-scale single-element main injector hot-fire testing;
Subscale preburner testing;
Turbopump inducer testing.
Last year, after the turmoil caused by Russia's military actions in the Ukraine, the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act was initiated. The act specifically calls for the RD-180 to be phased out in preference to a US-produced rocket engine for use on missions relating to national defense. The AR1 matches the Act's requirements in that this new engine is supposed to be on the assembly line by the document's timeline of 2019.

The AR1. Image Credit: Aerojet Rocketdyne
 
It is hoped that a vehicle-level concept review as well as a Preliminary Design Review of the main propulsion system will be completed by the end of this year. Considering that the effort to develop this engine began last year, the engine's development appears to be taking place at an increased pace.
The AR1 will serve as a backup for Blue Origin's BE-4 rocket engine, which is planned for use on United Launch Alliance's Next Generation Launch Vehicle or "NGLS".
The main injector hot fire test was carried out in order to validate different design features of the component. The performance of the injector is not the only aspect of the test that was scrutinized. The overall design of the injector as well as the methods of fabrication were reviewed.
Aerojet Rocketdyne stated in a release that it had produced several injectors via what the company calls Selective Laser Melting (SLM). SLM is another form of 3D printing.
Aerojet Rocketdyne is one of many aerospace firms that is adding 3D printing methods to their tool kits. The process of additive manufacturing has shown promise in rapidly producing parts at about 70 percent less than traditional methods.
The injector was hot fire tested at pressures in excess of 2,000 psi (13.8 MPa), the company has stated that this represents the highest pressure hot-fire test conducted to date, especially one that was conducted during an exercise that the engine would encounter during an actual mission.

[Salo]

http://spaceflightnow.com/2015/03/27/delta-4-rocket-evolving-the-upgraded-main-engine/

Delta 4 rocket evolving to upgraded main engine       
Posted on March 27, 2015 by Justin Ray

Credit: Carleton Bailie/Boeing
 
CAPE CANAVERAL — When the next Delta 4 rocket flies in July, as well as all future ones to come, the enhanced RS-68A main engine will power the boosters off the launch pad.
This week's successful Delta 4 launch that put a new GPS satellite into orbit marked the final launch of the original RS-68 model engine.
The Aerojet Rocketdyne-built powerplants have flown 42 times in the RS-68 configuration, all successfully, and three times in the RS-68A version aboard one triple-body Delta 4-Heavy launch in June 2012.
That flight three years ago lofted a classified National Reconnaissance Office payload in the debut launch of the upgraded engine on each of its three booster cores.

Credit: Aerojet Rocketdyne
 
The RS-68A, fed with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, delivers 702,000 pounds of liftoff thrust, an increase of 39,000 pounds over the RS-68 engine. It is considered the world's most-powerful cryogenic engine.
The A-model is seen as an evolution not a revolution from the basic RS-68 engine that has propelled Delta 4 rockets since 2002.
"There are no radical visual differences in either the look of the engine or the manner in which the rocket will fly," an official said in 2012.
The internal turbomachinery has been modified to enable the engine to operate at a higher thrust level — 108.5 instead of 102 percent — to provide extra performance, and improved combustion efficiency to achieve better miles-per-gallon fuel consumption.
The RS-68A satisfied the Heavy Upgrade program to give additional lift capacity for the National Reconnaissance and its NROL-15 mission in 2012.
Now, the engine is being phased into the rest of the Delta 4 fleet starting with the next flight. The extra power enables all various Medium configurations to evolve into a standardize structure instead of being tailor-built for a given launch, substantially streamlining factory operations.
The next flight, targeted for July 21 from Cape Canaveral, will launch the seventh Wideband Global SATCOM spacecraft for the U.S. Air Force.

[Salo]

http://www.rocket.com/article/aerojet-rocketdyne-receives-contract-continue-development-nasa%E2%80%99s-evolutionary-xenon-gridded

Aerojet Rocketdyne Receives Contract to Continue Development of NASA's Evolutionary Xenon Gridded Ion Thruster System   

SACRAMENTO, Calif., April 6, 2015 – Aerojet Rocketdyne, a GenCorp (NYSE: GY) company, has been awarded a contract worth approximately $18 million from NASA Glenn Research Center to complete the development of NASA's Evolutionary Xenon Thruster-Commercial (NEXT-C) Gridded Ion Thruster System. The NEXT-C Gridded Ion Thruster System is designed to power government and commercial spacecraft to deep-space destinations faster, farther and more fuel efficiently than any other propulsion technology currently available.
"The high performance of the NEXT-C Gridded Ion Thruster System will enable dramatically expanded planetary science and commercial missions as never seen before," said Julie Van Kleeck, vice president of Advanced Space and Launch Systems at Aerojet Rocketdyne. "It is truly the next step in the world's robotic exploration of the solar system, and we are honored to provide the advanced propulsion system to make it happen."
"The NEXT-C program builds on our extensive development experience with arcjet, Hall and ion thruster systems, and will enable new space transportation systems and architectures," said Roger Myers, executive director for Advanced In-Space Programs at Aerojet Rocketdyne. "The Aerojet Rocketdyne team is very excited about the opportunities that the NEXT-C program creates."
Under the contract, Aerojet Rocketdyne will complete the development of both the NEXT-C Gridded Ion Thruster System and power processing units (PPUs), and deliver two complete flight systems to NASA. The PPUs convert the electrical power generated by the solar arrays into the power needed for each component of the thruster.
According to NASA, the NEXT System is capable of performing a variety of missions to deep-space destinations such as Mars and the outer planets while reducing cost and trip time. In 2013, NASA completed a record-setting 50,000-hour lifetest of the NEXT-C Gridded Ion Thruster System, establishing the performance and lifetime capabilities required for a wide range of demanding missions. Operating at three times the power level of the current low-power NASA systems, the NEXT-C Gridded Ion Thruster System produces three times the thrust level. This higher-power operating capability enables commercial applications in addition to science missions.
Aerojet Rocketdyne is a world-recognized aerospace and defense leader providing propulsion and energetics to the space, missile defense and strategic systems, tactical systems and armaments areas, in support of domestic and international markets. GenCorp is a diversified company that provides innovative solutions that create value for its customers in the aerospace and defense, and real estate markets. Additional information about Aerojet Rocketdyne and GenCorp can be obtained by visiting the companies' websites at www.Rocket.com and www.GenCorp.com.

[Salo]

http://spacenews.com/aerojet-rocketdyne-faces-june-deadline-for-taking-rd-amross-stake/

Aerojet Rocketdyne Faces June Deadline for Taking RD Amross Stake 
by Peter B. de Selding — April 10, 2015

RD-180. Credit: NASA
 
PARIS — Aerojet Rocketdyne, which is suffering from two separate headaches caused by Russian rocket engines, on April 9 said it is likely to decide by June 12 whether to exercise its option to buy a 50 percent stake in the company that sells Russian RD-180 rocket engines for use in U.S. Atlas 5 rockets.
Aerojet Rocketdyne's parent company, GenCorp Inc. of Rancho Cordova, California — which as of April 27 is changing its name to Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings — has been postponing a decision on the RD-180 since it bought the rest of Rocketdyne's assets from United Technologies Corp. (UTC) in June 2013.
UTC owns 50 percent of RD Amross, a joint venture with RD-180 manufacturer Energomash of Russia. The RD-180 powers the first stage of the Atlas 5 rocket, which is used mainly for U.S. government launches.
The U.S. Congress, upset with Russia's incursion into Ukraine and frustrated with U.S. dependence on Russian hardware to launch national security missions, has told launch service provider United Launch Alliance of Denver to find a U.S. alternative before the end of the decade.
The U.S. Air Force would like that deadline extended to account for new-engine development cycles, but otherwise agrees that the RD-180 engine must be phased out over time.
GenCorp and UTC agreed that GenCorp would withhold from the Rocketdyne purchase price $55 million that would have paid for UTC's 50 percent stake in RD Amross. The Russian government, for reasons that have not been explained, has yet to give formal approval to the change in stakeholder, and this has been cited as a principal reason for the delay.
UTC and GenCorp agreed that the deadline for terminating the transaction — June 2014, a year after the Rocketdyne purchase — could be extended by up to four three-month increments. In an April 9 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the company said it exercised the fourth of these in March. The deadline is now June 12.
GenCorp did not say whether it is negotiating a new RD Amross purchase price with UTC to account for the RD-180's uncertain future on the Atlas rocket.
Years before the Rocketdyne purchase, the Aerojet portion of GenCorp had negotiated an agreement with Russian manufacturers to refurbish an old Russian engine and sell it to Orbital ATK of Dulles, Virginia, as the AJ-26.
A pair of AJ-26 engines powered Orbital ATK's Antares rocket, used to deliver supplies to the international space station under contract to NASA.
Aerojet Rocketdyne had already been spending money to investigate an AJ-26 test-stand failure, and for the three months ending Feb. 28 it reported that this investigation had cost it another $1.9 million.
In October, Orbital's Antares rocket failed seconds after liftoff, a failure that Orbital has said appears likely to have been caused by the AJ-26. Orbital has since stopped use of the AJ-26, booked a single launch aboard an Atlas 5 to meet its space station resupply contract commitment and signed with another Russian engine maker for a new engine to power the Antares vehicle starting in 2016.
Orbital has said in recent weeks that the Antares failure investigation is nearing completion, but company officials have indicated they are likely through with the AJ-26 no matter what the results.
GenCorp's SEC filing said the AJ-26 contract was still active but that the October failure "may result in the termination of the AJ-26 contract and the company may face significant damage claims."

[Seerndv]

Salo пишет:
The injector was hot fire tested at pressures in excess of 2,000 psi (13.8 MPa), the company has stated that this represents the highest pressure hot-fire test conducted to date, especially one that was conducted during an exercise that the engine would encounter during an actual mission.

- это соответствет давлению в КС AR-1 близкому к давлению в КС нк-33 (150 атм) ?

Salo пишет:
PARIS — Aerojet Rocketdyne, which is suffering from two separate headaches caused by Russian rocket engines, on April 9 said it is likely to decide by June 12 whether to exercise its option to buy a 50 percent stake in the company that sells Russian RD-180 rocket engines for use in U.S. Atlas 5 rockets.

- перепродажа РД-180 несёт меньше хлопот чем ускоренная разработка своего AR-1?

Salo пишет:
Aerojet Rocketdyne had already been spending money to investigate an AJ-26 test-stand failure, and for the three months ending Feb. 28 it reported that this investigation had cost it another $1.9 million.
In October, Orbital's Antares rocket failed seconds after liftoff, a failure that Orbital has said appears likely to have been caused by the AJ-26. Orbital has since stopped use of the AJ-26, booked a single launch aboard an Atlas 5 to meet its space station resupply contract commitment and signed with another Russian engine maker for a new engine to power the Antares vehicle starting in 2016.
Orbital has said in recent weeks that the Antares failure investigation is nearing completion, but company officials have indicated they are likely through with the AJ-26 no matter what the results.
GenCorp's SEC filing said the AJ-26 contract was still active but that the October failure "may result in the termination of the AJ-26 contract and the company may face significant damage claims."

-  AJ-26 не имел отношения к аварии но решение с "Энергомашем" было уже заключено?
И покупка части акций "Амросса" вторая часть марлезонского балета?  

[Bell]

Seerndv пишет:
-AJ-26 не имел отношения к аварии но решение с "Энергомашем" было уже заключено?

Подозреваю, что переход на 181 это своего рода ребрендинг, необходимый для восстановления имиджа после аварии.
У 180-то репутация незапятнанная (кхм, пока).

[Seerndv]

Bell пишет:
Подозреваю, что переход на 181 это своего рода ребрендинг, необходимый для восстановления имиджа после аварии.

- да вполне, но скорей это соображения второго плана.

Bell пишет:
У 180-то репутация незапятнанная (кхм, пока).

- а вот не сгубит ли пресловутый "тапок днепропетровского монтажника" и репутацию РД-181 и  РД-180 заодно?
Обратная сторона, так сказать, данной монеты? :|

[Salo]

http://www.rocket.com/article/aerojet-rocketdyne-selected-start-negotiations-contract-design-and-develop-advanced

Aerojet Rocketdyne Sel ected to Start Negotiations for Contract to Design and Develop Advanced Propulsion System for Human Spaceflight to Mars and Cislunar Space

SACRAMENTO, Calif., April 23, 2015 – Aerojet Rocketdyne, a GenCorp (NYSE: GY) company, has been selected by the NASA Advanced Exploration Systems Division to start negotiations for a contract to design and demonstrate an advanced propulsion system that would enable human spaceflight to cislunar space and beyond to Mars.
Under the first phase of the contract, Aerojet Rocketdyne would complete the development of a 100‑kilowatt Hall Thruster System, including its patented 250kW multi-channel Nested Hall Thruster (NHT), a 100‑kilowatt modular Power Processing Unit (PPU), and critical elements of the modular feed system. PPUs convert the electrical power generated by a spacecraft's solar arrays into the power needed for the Hall Thruster. The contract includes options for system integration testing, and culminates with a 100-hour test of the 100‑kilowatt system.
"Our high-power Nested Hall Thruster system will provide the best path in the development of faster transportation to the moon, Mars and beyond," said Julie Van Kleeck, vice president of Advanced Space and Launch Systems at Aerojet Rocketdyne. "When it comes to cargo and crew transportation, our advanced propulsion system will dramatically decrease the trip times and cost of human exploration."
Roger Myers, executive director for Advanced In-Space Programs, said, "Our unique flight experience with 5‑kilowatt Hall Thruster systems enables us to efficiently develop these very high-power, scalable solar electric propulsion systems. There are many applications for these systems, including new government and commercial missions that will benefit fr om high power, fast trip times."
As part of the Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships (NextSTEP), NASA recently announced Aerojet Rocketdyne as one of 12 new industry partnerships to help build space and human exploration capabilities for cislunar space and Mars missions, and for work at the International Space Station. The commercial partners were selected for their technical ability to mature key technologies and their commitment to the potential applications, both for government and private sector uses, according to NASA.
Current electric propulsion systems operate at 5 kilowatts or below, and there are plans for near-term spacecraft using between 20 to 40 kilowatts, such as NASA's Asteroid Re-direct Mission (ARM). Much higher powers, such as the scalable 100-kilowatt systems being developed on this program, are required for transportation of the large payloads envisioned for human exploration missions.
Aerojet Rocketdyne is a world-recognized aerospace and defense leader providing propulsion and energetics to the space, missile defense and strategic systems, tactical systems and armaments areas, in support of domestic and international markets. GenCorp is a diversified company that provides innovative solutions that create value for its customers in the aerospace and defense, and real estate markets. Additional information about Aerojet Rocketdyne and GenCorp can be obtained by visiting the companies' websites at www.Rocket.com and www.GenCorp.com.

[Salo]

http://www.rocket.com/article/aerojet-rocketdyne-begins-hot-fire-tests-support-us-air-force-hydrocarbon-boost-technology

Aerojet Rocketdyne Begins Hot-Fire Tests In Support of US Air Force Hydrocarbon Boost Technology Demonstrator Program

SACRAMENTO, Calif., May 26, 2015 – Aerojet Rocketdyne (NYSE: AJRD) has completed the first in a series of hot-fire tests on the sub-scale oxygen rich pre-burner in support of the U.S. Air Force Hydrocarbon Boost Technology Demonstrator (HBTD) program.
In coming months, multiple injector configurations will be tested to evaluate the performance and stability parameters that are critical for a high-performance, high-reliability liquid oxygen/kerosene rocket engine. The sub-scale test series will be used to aid the design and development of the full-scale pre-burner and engine development. An oxygen-rich pre-burner is one of the enabling technologies of the Oxygen-Rich Staged Combustion (ORSC) cycle needed to provide high thrust-to-weight and performance regardless of hydrocarbon fuel type.
"Throughout the sub-scale fabrication and facility checkouts, we've documented a number of lessons learned that have directly influenced the full-scale pre-burner design. We are looking forward to what more we will learn during the hot-fire test series," said Joe Burnett, program manager of the Hydrocarbon Boost Technology Demonstrator program at Aerojet Rocketdyne.
Under program direction of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Aerojet Rocketdyne is designing, developing and testing the HBTD engine. Its technologies are directed at achieving the goals of the Rocket Propulsion for the 21st Century (RP21) program, formally known as Integrated High Payoff Rocket Propulsion Technology, or IHPRPT.
Designed to generate 250,000 pounds of thrust, the engine technology uses liquid oxygen and liquid kerosene (RP-2) in the first U.S.-developed demonstration of the ORSC cycle. It has been designed as a re-usable engine system, capable of powering up to 100 flights, and features high-performance long-life technologies and modern materials.
Burn-resistant, high-strength alloys manufactured using novel technologies will be used throughout the engine. Manufacturing parameters of some of the alloys have been developed under a joint effort with the Air Force, known as the Metals Affordability Initiative or MAI. These advanced technologies will be matured sufficiently throughout the program to support the next generation of expendable launch system development efforts. It also will help in the rapid turn-around usability for future re-usable launch systems. The data from this test effort will be used by other Air Force development programs such as the Advanced Liquid Rocket Engine Stability Tools program (ALREST) to further advance the state-of-the-art capabilities in combustion stability modeling.
Previously, Aerojet Rocketdyne designed and supplied the oxygen-rich and fuel-rich pre-burners for the Air Force's Integrated Powerhead Device (IPD) demonstration engine, the world's first full-flow staged combustion rocket engine. The design lessons learned and test approach from the IPD pre-burners have been leveraged for the HBTD pre-burner architecture.
Aerojet Rocketdyne is a diversified company delivering innovative solutions that create value for its customers in the aerospace and defense, and real estate markets. The company is a world-recognized aerospace and defense leader that provides propulsion and energetics to the space, missile defense and strategic systems, tactical systems and armaments areas, in support of domestic and international markets. Additional information about Aerojet Rocketdyne can be obtained by visiting our websites at www.Rocket.com and www.AerojetRocketdyne.com.

[Seerndv]

Salo пишет:
In coming months, multiple injector configurations will be tested to evaluate the performance and stability parameters that are critical for a high-performance, high-reliability liquid oxygen/kerosene rocket engine. The sub-scale test series will be used to aid the design and development of the full-scale pre-burner and engine development. An oxygen-rich pre-burner is one of the enabling technologies of the Oxygen-Rich Staged Combustion (ORSC) cycle needed to provide high thrust-to-weight and performance regardless of hydrocarbon fuel type.
"Throughout the sub-scale fabrication and facility checkouts, we've documented a number of lessons learned that have directly influenced the full-scale pre-burner design. We are looking forward to what more we will learn during the hot-fire test series," said Joe Burnett, program manager of the Hydrocarbon Boost Technology Demonstrator program at Aerojet Rocketdyne.
Under program direction of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Aerojet Rocketdyne is designing, developing and testing the HBTD engine. Its technologies are directed at achieving the goals of the Rocket Propulsion for the 21st Century (RP21) program, formally known as Integrated High Payoff Rocket Propulsion Technology, or IHPRPT.
Designed to generate 250,000 pounds of thrust, the engine technology uses liquid oxygen and liquid kerosene (RP-2) in the first U.S.-developed demonstration of the ORSC cycle. It has been designed as a re-usable engine system, capable of powering up to 100 flights, and features high-performance long-life technologies and modern materials.

- ополовинили чтоб не сильно уходить от исходника - AJ-26?