Monica Jackson
Aerojet Rocketdyne has received a $69.8 million modification under the company’s “other transaction” agreement with the U.S. Air Force to produce engines for the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program.
The Defense Department said Friday it expects the engine manufacturer to complete work on the AR1 booster engine on Dec. 31, 2019, and the RL10CX upper stage engine by Dec. 31, 2021.
USAF awarded Aerojet Rocketdyne a $115.3 million OTA in late February 2016 to further develop the AR1 liquid oxygen/kerosene-based propulsion system.
Work will take place at various locations in Colorado, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida and California.
The modification implements a provision under the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 2015 that called for the development of a domestic alternative to non-U.S. allied rocket propulsion technology currently used for national security space missions.
