Новости Aerojet Rocketdyne

[Salo]

http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/sls/some-assembly-required-the-newest-rs-25-joins-the-space-launch-system-family.html

May 28, 2015
Some Assembly Required: The Newest RS-25 Joins the Space Launch System Family  
 
NASA's Space Launch System, America's new deep space exploration rocket, has a new addition to the family with the completed assembly of RS-25 Engine 2063. The RS-25 engine will power the core stage of the SLS, the launch vehicle that will take humans and cargo on deep space missions, including to an asteroid and ultimately to Mars.

In this two-minute time-lapse video, see how a powerhouse of a rocket engine, the RS-25, is assembled at NASA's Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. Four RS-25 engines will power NASA's new rocket, the Space Launch System, on missions to deep space, including to an asteroid and ultimately to Mars.
Credits: Aerojet Rocketdyne
 
Engine maker Aerojet Rocketdyne completed assembly of RS-25 Engine 2063 at NASA's Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, after approximately three months of work. The new engine becomes the 16th assembled RS-25 flight engine in inventory for SLS flights. It will be one of four RS-25s used to power Exploration Mission 2, the second SLS launch targeted for the 2021 time frame. Testing of these four engines will begin later this year as work accelerates on NASA's newest launch vehicle.

Aerojet Rocketdyne technicians put the final touches on the 16th engine for the RS-25 program. This engine will join three others to help propel the nation's most powerful rocket, the Space Launch System, which is currently in-development by NASA.
Credits: Aerojet Rocketdyne
View larger image
 
While SLS is designed for deep space exploration far beyond Earth. It's also designed to take advantage of the investments the nation has already made in space exploration, including the RS-25.
Fourteen of the 16 RS-25 engines in the SLS inventory are veterans of numerous space shuttle missions, where they were commonly referred to as Space Shuttle Main Engines, or SSME.  Engine 2063 is one of two additional "rookie" engines without previous shuttle flight experience. Engine 2063 will undergo acceptance testing to verify it is acceptable for flight, checking out the completed system. It does include some previously flown hardware, including the four turbopumps which have flown on several shuttle missions.
"Assembly of this new engine is part of a very busy year for the RS-25 team," said Steve Wofford, manager of the SLS Liquid Engines Office at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, where the SLS Program is managed for the agency. "We're testing one engine, developing a new controller and planning to manufacture new engines in the future."
Engine 2063 joins a famous family with a proud tradition. The RS-25 is one of the most tested large rocket engine in history, with more than 3,000 starts and over a million seconds of total ground test and flight firing time over 135 missions.
Four RS-25 liquid propellant engines will power the SLS for the eight-minute climb to orbit with the help of two solid propellant boosters – both flight qualified components of the Space Shuttle Program and now essential to SLS's unmatched payload capability.
"Completion of this engine is a significant accomplishment, considering it's been nearly five years since the last RS-25 was assembled," said Jim Paulsen, vice president of Program Execution Advanced Space & Launch Programs Aerojet Rocketdyne. "It's been a great opportunity for the team's SSME veterans to get reacquainted with this engine. For new members of the team, it's been an invaluable introduction to this dependable engine."
Four previously-flown RS-25s will be attached to the first SLS core stage and test fired together as a stage before being approved for the first SLS launch planned for 2018.
The SLS team began test firing one of the development engines with a new controller earlier this year to make sure it can meet the different performance and environmental conditions required by the SLS. The entire flight engine inventory will be upgraded with new state-of-the-art engine controllers, insulation and other details.
"There is nothing in the world that compares to this engine," added Paulsen. "It is great that we are able to adapt this advanced engine for what will be the world's most powerful rocket to usher in a new space age."
After the first four flights, NASA will start using brand new RS-25 engines. These "next generation" engines will be more affordable by utilizing components made with the latest 21st century electronics, cost saving manufacturing techniques and more cost effective materials.
"The RS-25 is still one of the most advanced engines in the world," said Philip Benefield, himself an SSME veteran now part of the team adapting the RS-25 to SLS. "It's an interesting challenge to put together a new SLS engine team of shuttle veterans and new engineers, much like the RS-25 incorporates veteran shuttle engine hardware and new hardware to meet new requirements."
For one of those new engineers, working on the RS-25 is the high point of a life-long interest in space exploration.
"Ever since I was in the third grade when I fell in love with the space program, I have always had the desire to work on a project that would take people further into space than ever before," said Esteban Barajas, a mechanical design engineer at Aerojet Rocketdyne.
"Now, being able to bring the space shuttle main engines roaring back to life with the many talented engineers who originally designed and built them is an incredible opportunity. As a young engineer, the experience has truly been invaluable."
For more information about SLS, visit:
 

www.nasa.gov/sls

Kim Henry
 Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama
 256-544-0034
kimberly.m.henry@nasa.gov
 
Last Updated: June 3, 2015
Editor: Lee Mohon

[Salo]

http://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/steamy-summer-begins-for-sls-with-rs-25-test

May 29, 2015
Steamy Summer Begins for SLS with RS-25 Test

 
 A billowing plume of steam signals a successful 450-second test of the RS-25 rocket engine May 28 at NASA's Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. The hotfire test was conducted on the historic A-1 Test Stand where Apollo Program rocket stages and Space Shuttle Program main engines also were tested. RS-25 engines tested on the stand will power the core stage of NASA's new rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS), which is being developed to carry humans deeper into space than ever before. The heavy-lift SLS will be more powerful than any current rocket and will be the centerpiece of the nation's next era of space exploration, carrying humans to an asteroid and eventually to Mars. Four RS-25 engines will power the SLS vehicle at launch, firing simultaneously to generate more than 1.6 million pounds of thrust. Designed and built by Aerojet Rocketdyne, RS-25 engines are modified Space Shuttle Main Engines, which powered 135 successful low-Earth orbit missions. One of the objectives being evaluated in this test is the new engine controller, or "brain." The RS-25 is unique among many engines in that it automatically runs through its cycles and programs. The controller monitors the engine conditions and communicates the performance needs. The performance specifications, such as what percentage of thrust is needed and when, are programmed into the controller before the engines are fired. For example, if the engine is required to cycle up to 90 percent thrust, the controller monitors the fuel mixture ratio and regulates the thrust accordingly. It is essential that the controller communicates clearly with the engine; the SLS will be bigger than previous rockets and fly unprecedented missions, and its engines will have to perform in new ways.  Tests at Stennis will ensure the new controller and engine are in sync and can deliver the required performance to meet the SLS requirements. NASA engineers conducted an initial RS-25 engine test on the A-1 stand Jan. 9. Testing then was put on hold for scheduled work on the Stennis facility high-pressure industrial water system that provides the tens of thousands of gallons of water needed to cool the stand during an engine test. RS-25 testing now is set to continue through the summer.
 
Last Updated: June 3, 2015
Editor: LaToya Dean

[Salo]

http://vpk.name/news/133168_nasa_pokazalo_ispyitaniya_raketnogo_dvigatelya_dlya_poletov_na_mars.html

НАСА показало испытания ракетного двигателя для полетов на Марс

ЖРД RS-25D на складском хранении. Источник: images.spaceref.com
 
8 мая 2015 года НАСА провело испытания жидкостного ракетного двигателя RS-25 — ранее он применялся в твердотопливных ускорителей «шаттлов», а сейчас готовится для сверхтяжелой ракеты-носителя Space Launch System (SLS). Видео стендовых испытаний представлено на сайте НАСА.
Восьмиминутные огневые испытания прошли на стенде A-1 Космического центра имени Джона Стенниса — там, где обкатывались ступени ракет программы «Аполлон» и двигатели «шаттлов». Проверяли прежде всего регулятор работы («мозг») двигателя. RS-25 отличает способность автоматически реализовывать заданную программу действий: технические задания (например, когда нужен какой уровень тяги) загружаются в контроллер еще до запуска двигателя. Летние испытания должны гарантировать, что новый регулятор и двигатель способны действовать синхронно и обеспечивают потребности SLS (их там должно быть четыре).
Тесты начались еще в январе, однако вскоре были приостановлены до ремонта системы подачи воды под высоким давлением. Эта жидкость необходима, чтобы охлаждать стенд во время огневых испытаний.
RS-26 производятся компанией Aerojet Rocketdyne. Основными компонентами топлива двигателя являются жидкие кислород и водород. RS-25 использует схему закрытого цикла с дожиганием топливного генераторного газа. Space Launch System — американская сверхтяжёлая ракета-носитель для пилотируемых экспедиций за пределы околоземной орбиты. На этой ракете США планируют запускать в космос многоразовый космический корабль Orion, с помощью которого в 2020-х годах НАСА собирается отправить своих астронавтов к Марсу.

[Astro Cat]

Ничего не понятно. Твердотопливный ускоритель это же типо труба с порохом. Как  это сочетается с жидкостным двигателем? Принцип хотя бы.

[Seerndv]

" Других журналистов у нас для вас нет!"(С)  
А вот я так до конца и не понял почему же не RS-68 выбрали?     :oops:

[Salo]

http://sputniknews.com/us/20150603/1022876560.html

NASA Looks to Cut Travel Time to Mars in Half with Superfast Propulsion

03:10 03.06.2015
As NASA begins laying the foundations for a future mission to Mars, the Agency wants to use its partnership with a rocket and missile propulsion manufacturer to cut travel time to the Red Planet in half.

The California-based Aerojet Rocketdyne has teamed up with NASA several times in the past, starting in 1976 when it helped the space agency deliver the Mars Viking landers. Now it seems the company's groundbreaking work on propulsion systems will forward NASA's mission of sending humans to Mars.
During a visit to the company's facilities in Canoga Park, California, NASA administrator Charlie Bolden stressed the need for the latest and most advanced propulsion technologies in getting astronauts to Mars. He also reiterated NASA's hope to slash the future mission's travel time.
"Right now, it's about an eight-month mission," he told reporters at the facility. "We'd like to cut that in half."
Bolden discussed the possibility with Aerojet Rocketdyne President Scott Seymour and Vice President of Advanced Space and Launch Systems Julie Van Kleeck, the three of them focusing primarily on the potential of superfast propulsion technology.
NASA officials have stressed the value of the technology, as it would help limit astronauts' exposure to radiation and reduce the amount of food and water the mission would require.
Aerojet Rocketdyne is working on advanced solar-electric propulsion systems (SEP) that will make transporting cargo to Mars more affordable and efficient.
"We're now trying to get to higher levels," Seymour said, referring to the engines his company is building for NASA's robotic missions. "Fifteen kilowatts would be the next step, and then to cluster them together...then, in the long term, 50 to 100 kilowatts."
"The limiting power of this type of propulsion has been the power to drive it," Bolden added.
"Aerojet Rocketdyne has partnered with different entities around the country in looking [at] how to get more energy density into a solar cell. The more power we can get, the larger we can make the engine and its capability."
The trio also discussed more advanced space propulsion systems, including nuclear rockets, such as the Nuclear Engine for Rocket Vehicle Performance (NERVA), a system studied by NASA decades ago.
"This country did a lot of work on that back in the 1960s and 1970s, and there is some technology being looked at regarding the fuels aspects of that, to make it lower cost and safer for the future," Van Kleeck noted.
Bolden also took the opportunity to emphasize the need for investing more into these advanced space systems, calling them potential "game changers" for more than just the mission to Mars.
"You've got to be specific," he said. "If I say I want game-changing in-space propulsion, everyone will go back to [the idea of] moving cargo. I want industry to focus on getting people to move really fast. I think we can do far better than we are doing today, but we've got to show our commitment by putting some money into it."

[triage]

Salo пишет:
http://sputniknews.com/us/20150603/1022876560.html

оригинально - импортзамещение новостей на иностранном языке на РосИнформПропаганда от Спутника

есть же более ранний
 http://www.space.com/29540-manned-mars-mission-propulsion-technologies.html
NASA Chief Wants to Cut Mars Travel Time in Half
June 02, 2015

[Salo]

Есть и более поздний:  
http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/NASA_Looks_to_Cut_Travel_Time_to_Mars_in_Half_with_Superfast_Propulsion_999.html

[triage]

Salo пишет:
Есть и более поздний:    
 http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/NASA_Looks_to_Cut_Travel_Time_to_Mars_in_Half_with_Superfast_Propulsion_999.html

с припиской - by Staff Writers Moscow (Sputnik) Jun 04, 2015.......Source: Sputnik News

Новость на русском языке - https://www.gismeteo.ru/news/sobytiya/14846-novaya-tsel-nasa-na-mars-za-4-mesyatsa/
 Новая цель НАСА: на Марс за 4 месяца

офтоп
хотя об этом начали говорить не этом году
видео Solar Electric Propulsion (2013 год)

Спойлер

[свернуть]

и https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/files/CTaylor_SEP.pdf

читая 

http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2015/05/20/aerojet-rocketdyne-tests-space-plane-propulsion.html
Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings Inc. supported a launch Wednesday morning from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station that includes a propulsion experiment of the military's X-37B space plane.
....
Much of the military mission is secret, but part of it is a test of Aerojet Rocketdyne's space propulsion technology. Aerojet Rocketdyne (NYSE: AJRD) is based in Rancho Cordova and is the region's largest publicly traded company. It designs and builds rocket engines and space motors.......

Интересно эксперимент на борту X-37b связан с этими технологиями "на Марс за 4 месяца"?

[Salo]

http://spacenews.com/an-abrupt-departure-for-aerojet-rocketdyne-ceo/

An Abrupt Departure for Aerojet Rocketdyne CEO
by Jeff Foust — June 1, 2015

According to a June 1 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Scott Seymour (center) announced his intent to retire May 29. Credit: NASDAQ  
 
WASHINGTON — Scott Seymour, president and chief executive of Aerojet Rocketdyne, abruptly retired from the company June 1 and has been replaced by an executive who joined the company only three months ago.
Neither the 64-year-old Seymour nor the company offered an explanation for his sudden retirement, announced by the company June 1. According to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission June 1, Seymour announced his intent to retire May 29. "Seymour's resignation was not the result of any disagreement related to any matter involving the Company's operations, policies or practices," the filing stated.
Warren Lichtenstein, chairman of the company's board of directors, praised Seymour. "Scott was instrumental in our 2013 acquisition of Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, a bold move that merged two industry giants and has been pivotal in securing the future growth of our company in a challenging marketplace," he said in a June 1 statement.
A former Northrop Grumman executive, Seymour joined the company in 2010 as president and chief executive of Aerojet's parent company, then known as GenCorp and recently renamed Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings, Inc. In February, he replaced Warren M. Boley, Jr. as president of Aerojet Rocketdyne.
In March, he approved a consolidation plan that calls for reducing the company's workforce by 10 percent over the next several years. Those cuts were intended "to improve the affordability of our products," he said in a statement at the time.
Replacing Seymour as president and chief executive is Eileen Drake, who joined the company as its chief operating officer in early March. Drake, a former U.S. Army aviator, previously worked for more than a decade at United Technologies Corp., including serving as president of a Pratt & Whitney AeroPower business unit from 2012 to January 2015.
"Her leadership will be instrumental in positioning our organization for continued growth and increased profitability," Lichtenstein said, adding that Drake and Seymour would "work closely together to ensure a smooth transition."
The change in leadership comes as Aerojet Rocketdyne faces major challenges in its space propulsion business. After the loss of an Antares rocket in October 2014, powered by AJ-26 engines from Aerojet Rocketdyne, Orbital ATK announced it was replacing the AJ-26 with RD-181 engines from Russian firm NPO Energomash. The results of separate investigations into the accident by both Aerojet Rocketdyne and Orbital ATK have yet to be released.
Aerojet Rocketdyne is also seeking funding for the AR-1, a large engine intended to replace the RD-180 engine from NPO Energomash currently used on the United Launch Alliance Atlas 5. However, ULA's preferred choice for a new engine is the BE-4 from Blue Origin, which ULA plans to use in the first stage of its new Vulcan launch vehicle.

[Grus]

http://www.rocket.com/article/aerojet-rocketdyne-moves-forward-ar1-engine-testing-nasa-stennis-space-center-keep-ar1

На испытания в центре Стенниса прибыли первые приборы проекта AR1:  pre-burner и main injector/combustion chamber.

"This is another example of Aerojet Rocketdyne's focus to maintain schedule for the United States to be able to have AR1 ready to fly in 2019, to keep our country on track to end dependence on Russian engines," said Julie Van Kleeck, Aerojet Rocketdyne vice president of Advanced Space & Launch.

[Apollo13]

Q&A with Linda Cova of Aerojet Rocketdyne


Linda Cova believes Aerojet Rocketdyne can develop the AR1 engine before 2020. "This is not a stretch for us at all to be ready in 2019," she said. Credit: Aerojet Rocketdyne, SpaceNews Lance Marburger
Linda Cova Executive Director of Hydrocarbon Engines, Aerojet Rocketdyne

Propulsion provider Aerojet Rocketdyne finds itself in a delicate position with one of its most important customers, United Launch Alliance, the U.S. government's primary launch services provider.

ULA faces a congressional mandate to discontinue using the Russian-made RD-180 engine that powers its workhorse Atlas 5 rocket, seemingly providing a long-sought opportunity for Aerojet Rocketdyne. But ULA has chosen to work with another company, Blue Origin, to develop an RD-180 replacement dubbed the BE-4.

Aerojet Rocketdyne's proposed RD-180 replacement, the AR1, is still in the running, but only as a backup option — ULA expects to make a final decision next year. The AR1 has another disadvantage in that Blue Origin is funding the BE-4 development effort, whereas Aerojet Rocketdyne requires substantial government money to complete its engine.

Congress provided $220 million this year to start developing a replacement for the liquid-oxygen/kerosene-fueled RD-180, but that is of limited help to Aerojet Rocketdyne absent a customer for the AR1. To that end it has begun exploring alternatives. In May, for example, in partnership with two other companies, Aerojet Rocketdyne asked the Air Force about the possibility of obtaining production rights to the Atlas 5, something ULA says is a nonstarter.

In the meantime, Aerojet Rocketdyne continues to supply the hydrogen-fueled RS-68 main engine for ULA's less-frequently-used Delta 4 rocket, as well as variants of the RL10 upper stage engine for both the Atlas 5 and Delta 4.

Linda Cova's focus is squarely on the liquid-oxygen/kerosene-fueled AR1, which she says could be developed by 2019 — opinions differ on this — and could be integrated relatively easily with the Atlas 5. It is a development challenge she says she has wanted to take on her entire career.

Cova spoke recently with SpaceNews staff writer Mike Gruss.

Where does the development of AR1 stand today?

We're really deep in the design process. We are having a preliminary design review late this year. We had a system requirements review in December. We're also doing some hot-fire testing, some subscale preburner testing.

You're still on track for 2019?

Yes. The track we're on, when the government kicks their money loose, we'll get to 2019 with some margin.

What would you like to see fr om the Air Force?

What we've been advocating is you start the engine development prior to the launch vehicle investments primarily because the engines are the critical path. We see that even with what ULA is doing today. The critical path is usually the engine. We'd like to see that started immediately.

The government has set aside $220 million for engine development this fiscal year, which is now two-thirds over. How soon do you expect the money to be spent?

It could come before the end of the year. We're hopeful it will come out soon and we'll actually be on contract for engine work this year.

Will you work on specific technologies or overall design and integration?

It will be basically the full-scale engine engineering manufacturing and development program going into the development with the focus on production.

What do you need from Congress at this point?

The budget request for 2016 [for an RD-180 replacement] is $84.4 million. It needs to be about $200 million again.

Are you confident Congress will provide that money?

Given the requirement for an engine in 2019 to replace the RD-180, I would think that would happen.

How do you convince Congress this makes sense for taxpayers when Blue Origin says it doesn't need government money to develop the BE-4?

If you look at the dates of being able to fly 180s and when they're going to have a certified launch vehicle and retiring Delta 4 medium, there is a gap. You could create another monopoly with SpaceX being the only one with the capability. That's one more reason for an RD-180 replacement. If the government is serious about replacing the RD-180 they should start an engine development program competition, pick the supplier and move forward.

Several companies are likely to bid for engine development money from the government. To have an engine ready by 2019, when would the government have to pick a provider?

It would have to be within the year, if not sooner than that. They have to get the procurement out and a decision made.

ULA and the Air Force doubt your AR1 development timetable. Why is there so much disagreement over this?

One of the misconceptions is that it takes seven years to develop an engine. Aerojet Rocketdyne has demonstrated on the RS-68 program a 5.5-year development timespan. We started AR1 last year and 2015 to 2019 is not four years, it's five years. It's one of those things — people look at the math and don't do that right. This is not a stretch for us at all to be ready in 2019. We're a little surprised at the amount of questioning on that because we've done it that way before. Now, if you don't have all the facilities in place, if you don't have all the processes in place, if you have to create a factory, it could take seven years. But for us, we're leveraging all of our existing infrastructure that we use with the RS-68 and also use for the RS-25. We're not having to create anything new there. We're literally just developing the engine and going into production in existing facilities.

ULA questions your assertion that the AR1 can be readily integrated with the Atlas 5. What's your response?

There's a lot of discussion that you can't re-engine a launch vehicle. First of all, the Antares vehicle right now is in the midst of being re-engined. It's interesting that people forget that's being done. The Delta 4 went from an RS-68 to an RS-68A, which was a higher-thrust engine. The RL10 has a 50-year heritage of being modified and changed and incorporated into new launch vehicles. It is surprising to me that people don't recognize it has been done a lot of times.

We have been working with ULA to interface directly into the aft end of the Atlas 5 launch vehicle. All of the liquid-oxygen and kerosene ducts interface identically. They identically interface to the attach points at the bottom of the Atlas 5. We actually took our engine model — which is really two engines integrated into what we call a main propulsion system — and it fit exactly. We could see integration of a main propulsion system into an Atlas 5 while we're completing our engine qualification or certification. You could do an initial launch in 2020 or, if we finish prior, in 2019.

When did Aerojet make a conscious decision to pursue the AR1?

We've been working on this a lot of years. There was a NASA procurement wh ere they were looking at an advanced booster and at that time we were developing what we called the American kerosene engine. So it's been morphed some to fit exactly the RD-180 requirements. We've always advocated if you're going to develop a national engine you need to develop an RD-180 class, a liquid-oxygen/kerosene engine, because it has so much application. Part of the reason we did two engines versus one is there are smaller launch applications that could use one engine.

What exactly is the nature of your relationship with ULA on the AR1?

They are investing in AR1 and they're also working with us on what modifications the Atlas 5 would need to incorporate it. When I say it's a plug-and-play, from an interface perspective, that's true. We've also been told the thrust structure or the thrust takeout at the bottom of the Atlas can take up to 1.2 million pounds of thrust but we need to verify that. And avionics, because we're flying two engines versus one, will require some modifications. ULA has recently gone to common avionics, a very modern avionics, so it's not like we're taking something from 30 years ago and needing to update it. That should be relatively straightforward. Clearly all the infrastructure, everything else at the launch sites stays the same. Everything stays the same. We have been given an envelope we have to stay in to avoid any modification requirements.

Is there a path forward for the AR1 without ULA?

If ULA does not choose the AR1, I doubt the government would continue to fund AR1. It makes sense. There's an RD-180 issue. That's what the money is appropriated for solving and resolving. The question is how does the government acquisition deal with that and does a new launch vehicle and a new propellant combination address that or is it an RD-180 replacement? That's the real question.

What would a rejection of the AR1 mean for Aerojet Rocketdyne?

Aerojet Rocketdyne still supplies a lot of propulsion to ULA. We'll still be fabricating RS-68s. We'll still be making AJ-60s. We'll still be making the RL10s. We'll continue to do that. We'll also make the RS-25. AR1 is a significant opportunity. Obviously we believe that given that we're investing in it. We still have a product portfolio beyond AR1.

What is the size of Aerojet's own investment in AR1?

We're investing to get to preliminary design review and I think most people should understand the level of that investment. That includes risk reduction activities and everything else.

And that piggybacks on previous government investment.

Right. We still do have other programs that are working on oxygen-rich staged-combustion. It's not like we don't have any other work going on; we do. We're leveraging all of that.

http://spacenews.com/qa-with-linda-cova-of-aerojet-rocketdyne/

[Grus]

Кстати, сия вице-президент настаивает, что путь замены РД-180 на AR1 дешевле. Видимо, потому что ракету не надо сильно переделывать. А слова направлены бирже.

[Seerndv]

А вот,  вроде тот же Аэроджет заявил, что в производстве керосинок они не будут искать устойчивые покрытия . а применят устойчивые материалы целиком .  :oops:
Сылку, бы, а?

[Salo]

http://www.rocket.com/article/aerojet-rocketdyne-moves-forward-ar1-engine-testing-nasa-stennis-space-center-keep-ar1

Aerojet Rocketdyne Moves Forward With AR1 Engine Testing at NASA Stennis Space Center to Keep AR1 Engine on Track for 2019

SACRAMENTO, Calif., June 16, 2015 – Aerojet Rocketdyne (NYSE:AJRD) and NASA Stennis Space Center signed a Space Act Agreement for test services and test stand support of the AR1 multi-element pre-burner and main injector. Currently in development by Aerojet Rocketdyne, the AR1 engine is a replacement for the Russian-made RD-180 engines that power the Atlas V launch vehicle. This agreement builds on the current assembly and testing of the company's RS-68 and RS-25 engines at NASA Stennis.

"This is another example of Aerojet Rocketdyne's focus to maintain schedule for the United States to be able to have AR1 ready to fly in 2019, to keep our country on track to end dependence on Russian engines," said Julie Van Kleeck, Aerojet Rocketdyne vice president of Advanced Space & Launch.

Under the agreement, the company will pay NASA Stennis to modify the E-1 complex, cell 2 test stand over a period of six months. The test stand will be configured to conduct AR1 staged combustion testing.

The AR1 engine uses two combustion devices: a pre-burner and a main injector/combustion chamber. These two devices operate in extreme temperature and pressure environments and are critical to the function of the engine. As part of the development path to full-scale testing, AR recently conducted subscale pre-burner hot-fire testing at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center using hardware fabricated via additive manufacturing that serves to reduce both cost and schedule for the production engine.

"We are using a stair step approach to eliminate the highest risk items first in our AR1 engine development program to ensure earliest possible delivery," added Van Kleeck. "By incorporating additive manufacturing and other new processes, materials and techniques into our plan, we offer the Nation a timely, cost-efficient path to end reliance on the Russian engines."

The AR1 engine provides 500,000 pounds of thrust and features advanced oxygen-rich staged combustion kerosene technology making it configurable to multiple U.S. launch vehicles.

[Seerndv]

Salo пишет:
Under the agreement, the company will pay NASA Stennis to modify the E-1 complex, cell 2 test stand over a period of six months. The test stand will be configured to conduct AR1 staged combustion testing.

- а вот для "Раптора" Маска и штат бабаськи нашёл, и НАСА в лице Стениса навстречу пошла.

[Salo]

http://ir.aerojetrocketdyne.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=920346

Jul 1, 2015
Aerojet Rocketdyne's Modified XR-5 Hall Thruster Demonstrates Successful On-Orbit Operation
 
SACRAMENTO, Calif., July 1, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aerojet Rocketdyne's (NYSE:AJRD) improved XR-5 Hall Thruster (designated XR-5A) has successfully completed initial on-orbit validation testing on the unmanned X-37 space plane, which is presently on its fourth mission in space. The Air Force Research Laboratory, Space and Missile Systems Center, and Rapid Capabilities Office collaborated to host the XR-5A Hall Thruster experiment on Orbital Test Vehicle mission 4.

 
Aerojet Rocketdyne's Upgraded XR-5A Hall Thruster Demonstrates Successful On-Orbit Operation

 A photo accompanying this release is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=34131
 The XR-5A Hall Thruster is an enhanced version of the Aerojet Rocketdyne XR-5 Hall Thruster. Both thrusters are five kilowatt class Hall Thrusters; however, the XR-5A incorporates modifications that improve performance and operating range. Aerojet Rocketdyne has manufactured and delivered 16 XR-5 Hall Thrusters and flown 12 to date. As with most new product introductions, Aerojet Rocketdyne is introducing a product upgrade to incorporate improvements identified after the initial low-rate production and flight programs.
 Aerojet Rocketdyne has received orders for 64 flight thrusters to date and anticipates a strong future production for both commercial and government markets.
 "The GEO Comsat market has embraced the use of five kilowatt Hall Thrusters, and Aerojet Rocketdyne not only has the only flight-proven five kilowatt Hall Thruster, we now have the only flight-tested, second-generation five kilowatt Hall Thruster," said Eileen Drake, chief executive officer and president at Aerojet Rocketdyne. "Satellite customers are very risk adverse, as many GEO Comsats have operational lives exceeding 15 years. So we are very pleased to bring a second generation product to market that provides our customers with that higher level of reliability and confidence."
 The new XR-5A maintains the majority of the design and flight heritage from the original XR-5, with only minimal modifications. The only two changes to the thruster are the outer pole extending around the cathode, and a modification of the cathode position.
 Aerojet Rocketdyne is an innovative company delivering solutions that create value for its customers in the aerospace and defense 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.
 The photo is also available via AP PhotoExpress.

[Salo]

http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/files/5-Hill-Hydrocarbon-Engine-Hill-and-Norman-HEOMD-Response-to-NAC-Finding-on-RD-180-replacement-V3_1.pdf

[Seerndv]

Salo пишет:
http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/files/5-Hill-Hydrocarbon-Engine-Hill-and-Norman-HEOMD-Response-to-NAC-Finding-on-RD-180-replacement-V3_1.pdf

- F-1 forever  

[Salo]

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