Gencorp

Aerojet Rocketdyne

Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Aerospace, Defense
Founded	2013
Headquarters	Palm Bay , United States
Area served	Global
Key people	Kenneth L. Bedingfield (President)
Products	Rocket, hypersonic, and electric propulsion systems
Number of employees	5,200+
Parent	L3Harris

Aerojet Rocketdyne operates as a subsidiary under the American defense corporation L3Harris, specializing in the production of rocket, hypersonic, and electric propulsion systems for sectors including space exploration, defense, civil applications, and commercial use. In 2022, the company generated revenues totaling $2.24 billion, with an operating profit of $145 million and a net profit of $74 million. Its workforce exceeds 5,200 employees, and its main office is located in Palm Bay, Florida. The company is led by President Kenneth L. Bedingfield.

The roots of Aerojet Rocketdyne trace back to 1915 with the establishment of the General Tire and Rubber Company (later known as GenCorp, Inc.), while Rocketdyne was created in 1955 as a division within North American Aviation. The present-day entity emerged in 2013 from the merger of Aerojet and Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, following GenCorp's acquisition of Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne from Pratt & Whitney.

In July 2023, L3Harris completed a $4.7 billion acquisition of Aerojet Rocketdyne, intending to integrate its propulsion technologies to bolster its aerospace and defense offerings. This strategic purchase expands L3Harris's global reach and strengthens its position in propulsion systems for space and defense markets.

Aerojet Origins

General Tire & Rubber diversified beyond rubber manufacturing into broadcasting and aerospace sectors. During the 1940s, Aerojet initiated rocket development programs and collaborated with General Tire on solid-fuel rocket binders.

The company ventured into broadcasting by acquiring radio networks in 1943 and further expanded into television by purchasing WOR-TV in 1952. In 1953, it acquired the RKO Radio Pictures studio, consolidating its media interests under the RKO General division.

Holding significant real estate assets in California through its studio operations and rocket manufacturing activities, General Tire & Rubber developed these properties commercially. Aerojet-General Corporation secured approximately in Eastern Sacramento County, transforming former gold mining land into a major site for rocket production and testing. As operational demands decreased over time, around of this property was redeveloped for community projects such as Easton along U.S. Highway 50, facilitated by Easton Development Company LLC.

Rocketdyne Background

Rocketdyne was established in 1955 when North American Aviation created it as a division focused on rocket engines derived from post-World War II research on the German V-2 rocket. It became a principal supplier to NASA, manufacturing engines such as the Rocketdyne F-1 used on the Saturn V launch vehicle during the Apollo missions, as well as the RS-25 engines powering both the Space Shuttle and its successor, the Space Launch System (SLS).

Engines produced by Aerojet Rocketdyne have been integral to every successful NASA Mars mission to date, including pivotal roles during launch and landing phases of missions like the Perseverance rover.

Corporate Renaming

In 1984, General Tire formed GenCorp, Inc. to serve as a holding company overseeing its various business interests.

Among its primary subsidiaries were:

• General Tire and Rubber
• RKO General, managing the conglomerate’s broadcasting operations;
• DiversiTech General, which manufactured tennis balls along with polymer-based products including automotive sound insulation materials and wallpapers;
• Aerojet General, a defense contractor focused on missile technologies.

Via RKO General, GenCorp held investments in:

• Frontier Airlines;
• RKO bottling companies responsible for distributing Pepsi-Cola products and operating multiple resorts such as Tucson’s Westward Look.

Disconglomeration

In response to a hostile takeover bid and regulatory obstacles during the late 1980s, GenCorp opted to divest several of its long-standing assets.

Due to misconduct issues that jeopardized RKO General's FCC license renewals, GenCorp began selling off its broadcasting holdings starting in 1987.

To concentrate efforts on Aerojet, GenCorp sold its flagship General Tire division to the German company Continental AG.

In 1999, GenCorp separated its Decorative & Building Products and Performance Chemicals units, creating the publicly traded entity OMNOVA Solutions Inc.

By 2008, GenCorp’s core business operations were primarily confined to Aerojet and Easton Real Estate.

Pension problems and leadership changes

During the real estate boom of 2006-2007, GenCorp withdrew funds from its overfunded pension plan; however, the subsequent market downturn resulted in a $300 million pension deficit. This shortfall led to a pension freeze on February 1, 2009, and the cessation of 401(k) matching contributions by January 15, 2009, generating annual savings near $29 million.

In March 2008, hedge fund Steel Partners II, which held a 14% stake in GenCorp, compelled CEO Terry J. Hall to step down due to unsatisfactory financial results. The fund secured three board seats along with authority over CEO appointments. Aerojet President J. Scott Neish was appointed as interim CEO.

Scott Seymour, previously leading Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems from 2002 to 2008, became permanent CEO in January 2010; Neish departed shortly after this transition.

Aeronautics expansion

In July 2012, GenCorp reached an agreement to purchase rocket engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne from United Technologies Corporation for $550 million. The Federal Trade Commission approved the acquisition in June 2013, and the transaction was completed soon thereafter. On April 27, 2015, GenCorp rebranded as Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings, Inc.

Abandoned acquisition by Lockheed Martin

On December 20, 2020, Lockheed Martin announced intentions to acquire Aerojet Rocketdyne for $4.4 billion, with an anticipated closing date in early 2022. Nevertheless, opposition from Raytheon Technologies and a unanimous Federal Trade Commission decision blocking the deal—citing concerns about eliminating the largest independent rocket motor manufacturer—led Lockheed Martin to withdraw from the acquisition in February 2022.

Acquisition by L3Harris

In December 2022, L3Harris Technologies agreed to purchase Aerojet Rocketdyne for $4.7 billion in cash consideration. The acquisition was completed in July 2023. L3Harris appointed former CTO Ross Niebergall as president of the newly formed Aerojet Rocketdyne business unit, which is now based in Palm Bay, Florida.

Current engines

• RS-25 (LH₂/LOX) – Initially developed by Rocketdyne as the reusable main engine for the Space Shuttle (SSME). Remaining RS-25D units will support early launches of the Space Launch System, before switching to the expendable RS-25E variant for later missions.
• RL10 (LH₂/LOX) – Designed by Pratt & Whitney, this engine powers the Centaur upper stage on the Atlas V, serves on the SLS Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS), and is planned for use on the Exploration Upper Stage (EUS). It has a long heritage across various launch platforms and will also power ULA Vulcan’s Centaur V upper stage.
• R-4D (MMH/NTO) – A hypergolic thruster producing approximately 100 lbf thrust originally developed for Apollo spacecraft; currently utilized as secondary propulsion on the Orion European Service Module and multiple satellite apogee motors.
• MR103G — Hydrazine monopropellant thruster delivering 0.2 lb thrust
• MR111g — Hydrazine monopropellant thruster with a thrust rating of 1 lb
• MR106L — Hydrazine monopropellant thruster providing between 5 and 7 lb thrust
• MR107M — Hydrazine monopropellant thruster rated at 45 lb thrust
• Blue Origin CCE (solid rocket motor or SRM) — Aerojet Rocketdyne manufactures the Crew Capsule Escape Solid Rocket Motor utilized on Blue Origin’s New Shepard vehicle.

Legacy propulsion systems and additional engines

• Rocketdyne F-1 (RP-1/LOX) – Served as the primary engine for the first stage of the Saturn V launch vehicle utilized during the Apollo program. It holds the distinction of being the most powerful single-chamber liquid-fueled rocket engine ever created.
• Rocketdyne J-2 (LH₂/LOX) – Employed on the upper stage of the Saturn IB as well as both the second and third stages of the Saturn V.
• SJ61 (JP-7/ingested air) – A dual-mode engine combining ramjet and scramjet technologies, flown on the hypersonic demonstrator aircraft, the Boeing X-51.
• AJ10 (Aerozine 50/N₂O₄) – Used as a second stage propulsion unit for the Delta II, served as the Space Shuttle’s Orbital Maneuvering System engine, and functions as the primary engine for the European Orion Service Module.
• AR1 (RP-1/LOX) – A proposed oxidizer-rich staged combustion cycle engine designed to deliver high thrust.
• Rocketdyne H-1 (RP-1/LOX) – Powered the first stages of both the Saturn I and Saturn IB rockets.
• RS-27 (RP-1/LOX) – Utilized in the first stage of the Delta 2000 series launch vehicles.
• RS-27A (RP-1/LOX) – Provided first stage propulsion for both the Delta II and Delta III rockets.
• RS-68 (LH₂/LOX) – The largest operational hydrogen-fueled rocket engine, employed on the initial stage of the Delta IV. It was engineered as a simplified expendable adaptation of the RS-25 engine.
• J-2X (LH₂/LOX) – Developed originally for the upper stage of Ares I, prior to termination of the Constellation program. It was later considered for use in the Exploration Upper Stage of the Space Launch System, but ultimately supplanted by a cluster of RL10 engines. This design traces its lineage to the Rocketdyne J-2.
• Baby Bantam (RP-1/LOX) – A 3D printed engine producing thrust, distinguished by being manufactured entirely through additive manufacturing techniques.
• AJ-26 (RP-1/LOX) – Modified and rebranded Russian NK-33 engines employed on Antares first stages before transitioning to RD-181 units.
• AJ-60A (Solid – HTPB) – A solid rocket motor previously integrated into Atlas V vehicles, replaced in 2021 by Northrop Grumman’s GEM-63 booster.
• AR-22 (LH₂/LOX) – Developed between 2017 and 2020 for DARPA’s XS-1 spaceplane initiative, this engine is based on RS-25 components sourced from Aerojet Rocketdyne and NASA. The project concluded following Boeing’s withdrawal in 2020.

X3 ion thruster

On October 13, 2017, Aerojet Rocketdyne successfully completed a critical demonstration milestone for its X3 ion thruster, a key element of NASA’s NextSTEP XR-100 propulsion system. Originating from a design by the University of Michigan and developed collaboratively with NASA and the U.S. Air Force, this Hall-effect thruster operates at power levels exceeding 100 kW. The X3 established new records for peak power output, thrust generation, and operating current, achieving thrust values up to 5.4 newtons—unprecedented for plasma thrusters. It functions within a power range from 5 kW to 102 kW and handles currents reaching 260 amperes. Its innovative architecture features three nested plasma channels, with a mass of 227 kilograms and nearly one meter in diameter.

Multi-mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator

Aerojet Rocketdyne acts as prime contractor to the U.S. Department of Energy for the Multi-mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG). This power source is utilized by NASA’s Mars rovers Curiosity and Perseverance, highlighting Aerojet Rocketdyne’s expertise in advanced energy systems supporting extraterrestrial exploration.