Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne Propulsion Powers Atlas V Upper Stage, Placing Critical Government Satellite into Orbit

[Video Credit: SpaceVidsNet, via YouTube]

Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne and RD AMROSS successfully propelled a critical U.S. government satellite into orbit on Sept. 13, once again demonstrating the consistency and reliability of their rocket launch propulsion systems.  The spacecraft launched from Vandenberg Air Force Station in California on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket.  The Atlas V is powered by the RD AMROSS RD-180 booster engine, and the upper-stage is powered by the Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne RL10 engine.

The Atlas V Centaur upper-stage is powered by a single RL10A4-2 engine that delivers 22,300 pounds of thrust.  The Atlas V Common Core booster is powered by the RD-180 engine and delivers nearly 1 million pounds of thrust.  The RD-180 is fueled by a kerosene/liquid oxygen mixture, provides an environmentally-clean operation, and uses an extremely efficient, high-pressured staged combustion cycle.  The high-pressure helium storage tanks on the Atlas V booster and upper stage were manufactured by ARDE, Inc., located in Carlstadt, N.J., a division of Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne.

Click here to view the Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne press release.

Click here to view the United Launch Alliance press release. (Page includes a photo gallery.)

Coverage:

• Top-secret satellite is launched from Vandenberg (Los Angeles Times)

Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne Propulsion Powers Atlas V Upper Stage, Placing Radiation Belt Storm Probes into Orbit

Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne and RD AMROSS successfully propelled the Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) mission into orbit, once again demonstrating the consistency and reliability of their rocket launch propulsion systems. The mission launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. The Atlas V is powered by the RD AMROSS RD-180 booster engine, and the upper-stage is powered by the Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne RL10 engine. RD AMROSS LLC is a joint venture of Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne and NPO Energomash.

Built and managed by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, the RBSP includes two spacecraft designed to fly in elliptical orbits to study the planet’s radiation belts and help scientists better understand the sun’s influence on the Earth and near-Earth space. The mission is part of NASA’s Living with a Star Geospace program to explore fundamental processes that operate throughout the solar system, in particular those that generate hazardous space weather effects near the Earth and phenomena that could affect solar system exploration.


The Atlas V Centaur upper-stage is powered by a single RL10A4-2 engine that delivers 22,300 pounds of thrust. The Atlas V Common Core booster is powered by the RD-180 engine and delivers nearly 1 million pounds of thrust.

Click here to read the Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne press release.

Click here to read the United Launch Alliance press release.

Coverage:

• NASA twin satellites to probe mysteries of the Van Allen belts (CNET News)
• Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne's RL10 engine propels RBSP mission into orbit (Zecco)

Three Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne RS-68A Engines Power Delta IV Heavy Upgrade Vehicle on Inaugural Flight

Video Credit: SpaceVidsNet, via YouTube

The sky rumbled and the ground shook as the three most powerful hydrogen-fueled liquid rocket engines ever built successfully boosted a U.S. government satellite into orbit on June 29. Developed by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, the RS-68A engines thundered into the sky on their inaugural launch, boosting a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket from the pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. Once above Earth’s atmosphere, the reliable Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne RL10B-2 engine provided upper-stage propulsion.

The RS-68A is a liquid-hydrogen/liquid-oxygen booster engine designed to provide increased thrust and improved fuel efficiency for the Delta IV family of launch vehicles. It evolved from the RS-68 engine, which was developed and certified for commercial use with private company funds. Each RS-68A provides 702,000 pounds of lift-off thrust, or 39,000 more pounds of thrust than the RS-68 engine, with increased combustion efficiency as well. During hot-fire tests, the RS-68A engine demonstrated the ability to operate for 4,800 seconds of cumulative run time – more than 10 times what’s needed to boost the Delta IV Heavy rocket into space.

Click here to read Pratt & Whitney's press release. 

Coverage:

• Delta IV launch: Secret, but very loud (Florida Today)
• World's most powerful rocket launches secret US satellite (Christian Science Monitor)
• Delta IV rocket launch from Cape Canaveral video (ABC Action News)
• Delta IV rocket launches into space (WMKG Orlando)

Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne Propulsion Powers Atlas V Upper Stage

Video Credit: SpaceVidsNet, via YouTube

In another awesome display of consistent and reliable rocket launch propulsion, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne and RD AMROSS successfully propelled a critical U.S. government satellite into orbit on June 20. The spacecraft launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. The Atlas V is powered by the RD AMROSS RD-180 booster engine, and the upper-stage is powered by the Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne RL10 engine.

The Atlas V Centaur upper-stage is powered by a single RL10A4-2 engine that delivers 22,300 pounds of thrust. The Atlas V Common Core booster is powered by the RD-180 engine and delivers nearly 1 million pounds of thrust. The RD-180 is fueled by kerosene/liquid oxygen mixture, provides an environmentally-clean operation, and uses an extremely efficient, high-pressure staged combustion cycle.

Click here to read the Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne press release. 

Coverage:

• Atlas V Launches Launches NRO Spysat (Space Daily)
• Hush, Hush US Spy Satellite Blasts Off Atop Milestone Atlas Rocket (Universe Today)
• Air Force Launches US Spy Satellite on Secret Mission (SPACE.com) 

Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne Propulsion Orbits Critical Communications Satellite for U.S. Military

Video Credit: SpaceVidsNet via YouTube

Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne upperstage propulsion successfully orbited the second in a series of Advanced Extremely High-Frequency (AEHF) communications satellites for the U.S. military, once again demonstrating the consistent reliability of its power and propulsion systems. The spacecraft was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida by a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. The Atlas V is powered by the RD AMROSS RD-180 booster engine, and the upper-stage is powered by the Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne RL10 engine.

The AEHF is a joint service satellite communications system that will provide global communications for military troops within all services of the U.S. Department of Defense. The spacecraft will be used to relay highly secure and jam-resistant communications for the Armed Forces of the United States, the British Armed Forces, the Canadian Forces and the military of the Netherlands. When fully deployed, the system will consist of four spacecraft that travel in geostationary orbits.

The Atlas V Centaur upper-stage is powered by a single RL10A4-2 engine that delivers 22,300 pounds of thrust. The Atlas V Common Core booster is powered by the RD-180 engine and delivers nearly 1 million pounds of thrust. The RD-180 is the only liquid oxygen/kerosene-fueled engine with an oxygen-rich staged-combustion cycle flying in the United States today.

Click here to read Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne's press release.

Coverage:

• Second AEHF Military Communications Satellite Launched (Space Daily)
• Air Force launches advanced communications satellite (MSNBC)
• Next Generation Military Communications Satellite Launched for US Air Force (Universe Today)
• Satellite for secure war-time communications goes up (Spaceflight Now)

P&W Rocketdyne Engines Successfully Boost Government Payload Into Space

The sky rumbled with the sound of a rocket launch on April 3 as Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne once again demonstrated the consistent reliability of its propulsion systems with the successful lift-off of a critical satellite for the U.S. government. The mission launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., on a United Launch Alliance Delta IV medium rocket with Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne RS-68 and RL10B-2 engines providing the booster and upper-stage propulsion, respectively.

The RS-68 is the world's largest hydrogen-fueled engine, designed for heavy lift with 758,000 pounds of vacuum thrust and 663,000 pounds of sea-level thrust. The RL10B-2 is a unique cryogenic upper-stage engine that provides 465 seconds of specific impulse and 24,750 pounds of thrust.

Click here to read Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne's press release.

Coverage:

• Delta 4 Rocket Successfully Lofts Surveillance Satellite (Spaceflight Now)
• Rocket Launches Secret Spy Satellite for US Military (SPACE.com)
  

Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne Powers 200th Mission of Centaur Rocket, Places Communications Satellite for U.S. Navy into Orbit

[Video credit: United Launch Alliance, via YouTube]

Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne once again demonstrated the consistent reliability of its propulsion systems by successfully powering the Centaur upper-stage rocket on its 200th mission and placing the first in a series of Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) communications satellites for the U.S. Navy into orbit. The payload launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. The Atlas V is powered by the RD AMROSS RD-180 booster engine, and the Centaur is powered by the Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne RL10 engine.

The Atlas V Centaur upper stage is powered by a single RL10A4-2 engine that delivers 22,300 pounds of thrust. The Atlas V Common Core booster is powered by the RD-180 engine and delivers nearly 1 million pounds of thrust. The RD-180 is the only liquid oxygen/kerosene fueled engine with an oxygen-rich staged-combustion cycle flying in the United States today.

Click here to read the Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne press release.

Click here to read the United Launch Alliance press release. (Includes a photo gallery.)

Coverage:

• Atlas V lifts US Navy satellite into orbit (Flight International)
• Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne powers Centaur rocket placing U.S. Navy MUOS communications satellite into orbit (Avionics Intelligence)