NASA has selected the rocket engine manufacturer Aerojet to take part in the risk reduction effort to provide advanced booster concepts for later versions of the Space Launch System (SLS). The $23.3 million contract has been awarded to allow Aerojet to reduce the technical risk in providing a liquid oxygen and kerosene oxidizer-rich staged-combustion engine. The company will fabricate a representative full-scale 550,000lb thrust class main injector and thrust chamber, and prepare to conduct a number of tests measuring performance and demonstrating combustion stability previously reported to be as part of its efforts to produce a dual combustion chamber engine of 1 million lb thrust called AJ-1-E6.
In addition to Aerojet,three other companies are under contract to develop SLS advanced booster contracts including ATK Launch Systems offering an advanced version of its current Solid Rocket Booster (SRB); Dynetics which is working with Rocketdyne to produce a new updated version of the Saturn V’s LOx (liquid Oxygen)/kerosene burning F1 engine, and Northrop Grumman to demonstrate techniques to build composite fuel tanks.
