Nichols Martin
Two Aerojet Rocketdyne-built engines helped power United Launch Alliance‘s Delta II rocket that launched a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration satellite into space.
The RS-27A engine generated 237,000 pounds of thrust to lift the rocket carrying NOAA’s Joint Polar Satellite System-1 and the AJ10-118K upper-stage engine produced 10,000 pounds of thrust to insert the payload into orbit, Aerojet Rocketdyne said Saturday.
JPSS-1 lifted off Saturday at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
The JPSS mission, a collaborative effort between NOAA and NASA, seeks to gather environmental data on atmospheric, aquatic and terrestrial conditions from space.
“It’s an honor to know we are helping to support climate research, weather and storm prediction for civil, military and international partners,” said Eileen Drake, CEO and president of Aerojet Rocketdyne.
RS-27A and AJ10-118K engines previously helped the Delta II rocket carry NASA’s Deep Impact, Kepler and the Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity spacecraft as well as the U.S. Air Force‘s fleet of Global Positioning Block IIR satellites.
