Stennis' AR1 teetering toward tests

WASHINGTON - Aerojet Rocketdyne has completed the assembly of the first AR1, a new kerosene-based rocket engine originally funded by the Air Force - and dollars cut by Congress - at its engine assembly facility at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. AR currently has no customers for the engine., and plans to market it for first-stage boosters in medium-sized launch vehicles – with hopes of drawing the interest of the new U.S. Space Force. “The next step is to get it tested,” Aerojet’s senior VP Jim Maser told SpaceNews on Jan. 11. Congress has allocated $15M for testing, but not specifically for the AR1. The AR1 is the first oxygen-rich staged combustion kerosene engine of this class built in the U.S. The AF originally wanted the engine as a possible replacement of the Russian RD-180 that powers the first stage of United Launch Alliance’s Atlas 5 rocket. After Congress directed the AF to end its reliance on Russian engines, it awarded Aerojet more than $800M for development, testing and certification of AR1. The contract was later reduced to $350M after ULA went with a different engine (Blue Origin’s BE-4) to power Stage 1 of its Vulcan rocket. AR signed an agreement with launch startup Firefly Aerospace for possible use of the AR1 engine in Firefly’s future launch vehicle to lift medium-sized payloads. AR’s next hurdle is to re configure one of Stennis’ test stand. The center mostly tests hydrogen engines. Aerojet Rocketdyne is in the process of being acquired by Lockheed Martin. Neither company could comment on how the acquisition would affect AR1. (Source: SpaceNews 01/12/21) Aerojet Rocketdyne completes assembly of its first AR1 rocket engine - SpaceNews