GenCorp Aerojet was awarded a $485,000 contract to design and test a high performance/high technology rocket injector for use in a Martian-simulated environment by the California Institute of Technology’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) on May 27.
The rocket injector, using MON-25/Monomethylhydrazine
propellants, will be used for the Mars Ascent Propulsion
System (MAPS) Attitude Control Thruster Initial Phase
Development Program. This program is necessary to develop
enabling propulsion technologies required by the Mars Sample
Return Vehicle, a major component in NASA’s Mars Exploration
Program.
“This is an exciting win for Aerojet,” said Bob Harris,
Aerojet vice president of Strategic and Space Propulsion.
“Interplanetary exploration technology exceeds the
capabilities of current state-of-the-art propulsion systems
and Aerojet is proud to play a part in developing innovative
propulsion solutions.”
The Aerojet MAPS program will be accomplished at the
Sacramento facility over a seven-month period beginning late
May. The initial effort of the program will focus on injector
design characteristics required to produce high performance
and stable combustion using low temperature propellants which
have freezing points below -50 degrees C, similar to the
Martian environment. Subsequent phases will further develop
and test new-technology lightweight components intended for
the final flight version of the engine.
In addition to the Mars sample return mission, this task has
applicability to a wide variety of other missions as well
since low freezing-point propellants are also likely to be of
use to any outer planet missions.
