Contract: Rocketdyne, $115.3M

Aerojet Rocketdyne, Canoga Park, Calif., has been awarded a $115,312,613 other transaction agreement for the development of the AR1 rocket propulsion system prototype for the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program. This agreement implements Section 1604 of the fiscal 2015 National Defense Authorization Act, which requires the development of a next-generation rocket propulsion system that will transition away from the use of the Russian supplied RD-180 engine to a domestic alternative for National Security Space launches. An other transaction agreement was used in lieu of a standard procurement contract in order to leverage ongoing investment by industry in rocket propulsion systems. This other transaction agreement requires shared cost investment with Aerojet Rocketdyne for the development of a prototype of the AR1 engine, a booster stage engine intended for use on United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan launch vehicle. The locations of performance are Canoga Park; Sacramento, Calif.; Centennial, Colo.; Huntsville, Ala.: Stennis Space Center, Miss.; West Palm Beach, Fla.; and Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif. The work is expected to be completed no later than Dec. 31, 2019. Aerojet Rocketdyne is contributing $57,656,307 at the time of award. The total potential government investment, including all options, is $536,029,652. The total potential investment by Aerojet Rocketdyne, including all options, is $268,014,826. The Launch Systems Enterprise Directorate, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, is the contracting activity (FA8811-16-9-0003). (Source: DoD, 02/29/16)