 |
| AR1 preburner test. Aerojet Rocketdyne photo |
STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- Aerojet Rocketdyne recently conducted hot-fire tests to validate the design of the preburner for the AR1 rocket engine, which is being developed to replace the Russian-built RD-180 engine currently used to launch most U.S. national security payloads. The preburner, a component that drives the engine’s turbomachinery, was built using state of-the-art techniques, including 3-D printing. With the design now confirmed, Aerojet Rocketdyne has cleared one of the major technological hurdles to fulfill the congressional mandate to end U.S. dependence on Russian engine technology for military launches. (Source:
Aerojet Rocketdyne, 05/04/17)
