SACRAMENTO, Calif., March 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Aerojet's (a GenCorp company) work-horse propulsion products are again in use as the Space Shuttle Endeavour embarks on the STS-123 mission to the International Space Station. Endeavour roared into orbit early Tuesday from the Kennedy Space Center to begin its two day rendezvous with the International Space Station.
Aerojet designed and built the two Orbital Maneuvering Engines, 38 primary thrusters, seven gas generators and the six Vernier thrusters that provide control and maneuvering capability for each Space Shuttle. These products will be thoroughly used by Endeavour's crew as they undertake the complex STS-123 mission. Endeavour will deliver the first section of the Japanese-built Kibo laboratory and the Canadian Space Agency's two-armed robotic system known as Dextre to the International Space Station. "Aerojet is proud to be providing the propulsion that Endeavour's crew will use throughout this demanding 16-day Space Shuttle mission," said Aerojet President Scott Neish.
The STS-123 mission is the 122nd Space Shuttle flight and Endeavour's 21st flight. Aerojet's Orbital Maneuvering Engines, primary thrusters, gas generators and Vernier thrusters have flown on every Space Shuttle mission since the first Shuttle was launched in 1981.
Aerojet engines, generators and thrusters are also planned for use on Orion and Ares -- the new human space flight programs that NASA has under development. Aerojet propulsion has flown on every U.S. human space flight mission since the dawn of the Space Age.
Aerojet is a world-recognized aerospace and defense leader principally serving the missile and space propulsion, defense and armaments markets. GenCorp is a leading technology-based manufacturer of aerospace and defense products and systems with a real estate segment that includes activities related to the entitlement, sale, and leasing of the company's excess real estate assets. Additional information about Aerojet and GenCorp can be obtained by visiting the companies' Web sites at http://www.aerojet.com/ and http://www.gencorp.com/.
Aerojet
