Companies Developing Rocket Engines For Space Launch
Market
A U.S. derivative of a Russian rocket engine is a step closer
to boosting vehicles into space, as Aerojet and its Russian partner
United Engine Corporation (UEC), announced the signing of a
cooperation agreement Tuesday outlining their the companies'
cooperative efforts to provide NK-33 and AJ26 rocket engines to the
commercial launch market.
The cooperative efforts of Aerojet and UEC will include
marketing, sales, technical support, testing and a range of
activities for the eventual re-start of engine production - all
designed to bring high-performing, cost-competitive NK-33 and AJ26
hydrocarbon engines online. This agreement builds on more than 15
years of cooperation between Aerojet and JSC "N.D. Kuznetzov"
(NDK), which is managed by UEC, to provide launch propulsion for
the growing global commercial space market.
Under the agreement, UEC will be responsible for marketing and
sale of the modern NK-33 in the Russian Federation, as well as
checkout, testing and delivery of additional NK-33 rocket engines
to Aerojet for modification into the AJ26, and eventual re-start of
NK-33 production in Russia. UEC will also provide support of the
NK-33 on vehicles launched from the Russian Federation.
Aerojet, with an exclusive license for NK-33 and AJ26 in the
U.S., is responsible for U.S. marketing and sale of the engines,
along with modifying the NK-33 into the AJ26, and support of these
engines on vehicles launched from the U.S. Aerojet will continue to
evaluate U.S. production of the AJ26, based on market demand.
Aerojet currently provides the AJ26 rocket engine for the
first-stage of Orbital Sciences Corporation's Taurus II launcher.
UEC provides the NK-33 to Russian Federation customers. Both
Aerojet and UEC are offering AJ26 and modern NK-33 engines to
additional customers in the United States and Russia,
respectively.
Aerojet, UEC and NDK recently completed a series of NK-33 rocket
engine tests in Samara, Russia in support of Orbital's Taurus II
launch vehicle development. This testing is built on the extensive
engine database that includes more than 17 years of development
testing as well as approximately 1,500 engine-level tests totaling
194,000 seconds of firing duration. The recent 'hot-fire'
extended-time testing verified that the AJ26 has the significant
engine performance margins and durability required for today's
commercial launch vehicles.