The first Artemis rocket stage with four Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-25 engines that will power its first mission later this year . Credit : NASA
The surprising part about moon and Mars landings is that they are not just the work of science fiction and Hollywood .
In 2021 , almost 50 years after the last crewed moon landing , the time for execution of human space missions is now . The development of spacecraft and tools that can take people to the moon and to Mars is here and is being developed by both public and private entities in conjunction with each other .
Aerojet Rocketdyne is one of those entities , as an American missile and propulsion manufacturer whose products are integrated into space , defense , and innovation-based applications .
They have many space-related projects where the American public might have some awareness :
Aerojet Rocketdyne supports Sierra Nevada Corporation ’ s Dream Chaser ® program , “ a reusable commercial spaceplane to carry both pressurized and unpressurized cargo to and from low-Earth orbit ( LEO ) destinations such as the International Space Station .” Their role is with the electrical power system ; according to their website , “ Aerojet Rocketdyne will design , develop , fabricate , test and integrate the electrical power system , including the power conversion system , distribution units and rechargeable batteries .”
Launch vehicle propulsion is another project that allows Aerojet Rocketdyne to launch payloads and people into space , including small satellites to large rockets . Some of the well-known vehicles include : United Launch Alliance ’ s Atlas V , Vulcan and Delta IV rockets , and NASA ’ s Space Launch System .
Liquid engines using additive manufacturing and 3D printing .
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