Tag: Aerojet Rocketdyne

Additive manufacturing can produce satellites ‘twice as fast and at half the cost’

Lockheed Martin wants to cut its satellite costs and schedules by 50% using additive manufacturing. The company has been experimenting with 3D printing components for its satellite business to achieve that goal, and has met with some success. It recently revealed an important milestone: the company successfully printed a 1.6 meter satellite fuel tank dome, the largest structure to date that the company has built using additive manufacturing. “Our largest
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Blue Origin’s BE-4 could propel the next stage of space exploration

After five years of development, Jeff Bezos announced in Twitter this week Blue Origin has successfully completed a hot fire test of its fully reusable BE-4 engine. The hot fire test marks an important milestone for both Blue Origin and the next step in human exploration of space. https://twitter.com/JeffBezos/status/921114359119560704 Blue Origin's orbital rocket, the New Glenn, will use seven BE-4 engines in its first stage, and a single BE-4 in
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Aerospace firms tout solar electric propulsion to Congress

A handful of private firms submitted testimony to Congress touting the potential uses of solar electric propulsion at a hearing on in-space propulsion held last week by the U.S. House of Representatives’ subcommittee on space. SEP systems could replace chemical propulsion for use in deep space exploration, but experts say the technology needs more improvement to become a viable propulsion option. “We are on the cusp of a giant leap
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Aerojet Rocketdyne is one step closer to replacing Russian rocket engines

By Kendra Chamberlain Defense and Aerospace contractor Aerojet Rocketdyne is designing a new large liquid propellant engine that it says will help the US remain competitive in space launches. Aerojet hopes its new rocket booster engine, called the AR1, will help the US move away from using Russian parts for space flight vehicles. (more…)
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