Aerojet Rocketdyne Finishes Engine Production for NASA’s Crewed Flight Mission; Eileen Drake Quoted

Aerojet Rocketdyne has fulfilled its task to produce hardware necessary for the propulsion of the rocket that would send a crewed Orion spacecraft around the moon as part of NASA's second Artemis mission.

The company said Monday it completed the RL10 and RS-25 engines for the Space Launch System in support of Artemis II, the second integrated SLS-Orion flight and the first lunar flyby effort with crew.

The RL10 engine is designed to propel SLS' upper stage while four RS-25 motors are built to power the rocket's core stage.

“The Artemis II mission will be the first time the Space Launch System and Orion will send astronauts into orbit around the Moon, and it is a key precursor to landing the first woman and the next man on the Moon,” said Eileen Drake, president and CEO of Aerojet Rocketdyne.

The company also built a jettison motor that will allow Artemis II crews to abort the launch in case of an emergency. Aerojet Rocketdyne also produced the Orion Main Engine that would support craft maneuvering.

NASA aims to launch the first crewed flight aboard the Lockheed Martin-built Orion module in 2023.