SSC to assemble AR1 engine

Aerojet Rocketdyne announced that assembly and testing of its AR1 advanced liquid rocket engine will be done at NASA's Stennis Space Center, Miss., a move that will expand the company's Center of Excellence for Large Liquid Rocket Engine Assembly and Test at SSC from a workforce of 130 to more than 200. The announcement was made at the Farnborough International Air Show. The AR1 is being developed to support the country's mandate to eliminate U.S. reliance on the Russian RD-180 engine for national security space launches by 2019. Aerojet Rocketdyne’s facility at SSC is already home for assembly and testing of the RS-68 engine that powers the Delta IV family of launch vehicles, and the RS-25 engine that will power NASA's Space Launch System. As a part of the buildup for RS-25 assembly and testing, Aerojet Rocketdyne is locating its RS‑25 low pressure turbopump assembly to the company’s facility at SSC. (Source: Aerojet Rocketdyne, 07/11/16)