SACRAMENTO, Calif.---Aerojet has been awarded a 17-month, $13.4 million contract from Orbital Sciences Corporation to continue developing a new liquid propellant engine for U.S. Army target vehicles.
The engine will be integrated into a booster stage that Orbital is developing for the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC). Aerojet's contract value could rise if Orbital exercises options for supporting a vehicle risk reduction flight.
On Sept. 24, Orbital was one of two companies selected by SMDC for Phase IIa development of a booster stage for a target vehicle to be used in Army theater missile defense testing. Currently, the Army uses refurbished ICBMs as target vehicles. Aerojet's new booster engine will use safer, cleaner burning peroxide and kerosene propellants instead of the highly toxic solid propellants that boost ICBMs.
"This is an exciting opportunity for Aerojet to draw on its decades of liquid propulsion expertise and develop an engine that will provide propulsive power for a new class of target vehicles,'' said Scott Jennings, Aerojet program manager.
In February 2001, Aerojet received a $350,000 Phase I contract from Orbital for initial design of the liquid booster engine. During the 17-month Phase IIa, Aerojet will continue designing and building the engine, leading to a ground test in a booster configuration. If Orbital is selected for Phase IIb, Aerojet will support a risk reduction flight test of the target vehicle in 12 months following successful demonstration of the booster in ground tests. Eventually, Aerojet could produce up to 10 engines per year.
Aerojet's booster engine, called the AJ-34, will provide high performance while replicating real enemy threats. It will simulate an enemy missile's booster engine characteristics, such as its infrared signature, so that U.S. missile defense systems can be accurately tested. These systems include Theater High Altitude Area Defense, Patriot PAC-3, Medium Extended Air Defense System, Navy Area Theater Wide, Airborne Laser and other special projects.
Besides Aerojet, Orbital's team on this program includes Honeywell Engines and Systems, which is responsible for providing a new turbopump to Aerojet.
Aerojet, a GenCorp company, is a world-recognized aerospace and defense leader principally serving the space electronics, missile and space propulsion, and smart munitions and armaments markets.
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Aerojet Awarded $13 Million Contract to Develop New Liquid Booster Engine For Army Target Vehicles
