Aerojet Rocketdyne announced that it has expanded its existing advanced engine development agreement with the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) to develop the superior RL10C-X engine and continue the AR1 supercharged engine development program by producing the first engine.
The RL10C-X represents the future superior rocket engine RL10, which has accumulated more than 50 years of mature flight experience. Using advanced 3D printing technology combined with other modern manufacturing technologies, the production cost of the RL10C-X will be greatly reduced without compromising current performance and reliability or affecting the launch vehicle interface. Aerojet Rocketdyne has completed several heat demonstrations of components built using 3D printing, including the new thrust chamber assembly for the RL10C-X. The main components of an engine currently built from many components will require a large amount of touch labor to manufacture and assemble, and these components will be integrated into several 3D printing components, reducing delivery time and cost. With the RL10C-X, Aerojet Rocketdyne will be able to offer its customers high-reliability, high-performance superior engines at a lower cost.
Eileen Drake, CEO and President of Aerojet Rocketdyne, said: "Aerojet Rocketdyne has extensive experience in manufacturing rocket engines for most of the country's superior launch vehicles. We will continue to use the RL10C-X engine." "We are also very happy to continue developing. AR1 engine; this is a wonderful future."
The AR1 uses liquid oxygen (LOX) / kerosene (RP-1) to provide more than 500,000 pounds of thrust and is suitable for powering the core of current and future medium to heavy launch vehicles. It uses industry-leading manufacturing techniques, including 3D printing, to increase affordability.
“We are currently manufacturing our first complete AR1 engine, which will be tested for heat in 2019,” Drake added. “The AR1 is the ideal engine for a wide range of applications; it offers the right combination of propellant, thrust level, size and performance for medium to heavy launch vehicles. Combined with the RL10C-X superior engine, the AR1 will further reduce the cost of launching propulsion, and With a flight-certified company's program confidence and mission assurance, I maintain that Aerojet Rocketdyne offers the best booster and superior propulsion solutions for the launch vehicle field by combining advanced technology with proven development and production processes."
On June 22, 2018, Aerojet Rocketdyne and the Air Force signed a modification to the agreement of other existing trading authorities for the rocket propulsion system to fund the cooperation.
