Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace, Rocket engine manufacturing |
| Predecessor | Pratt & Whitney Space Propulsion, Boeing Rocketdyne Propulsion & Power |
| Founded | 2005 |
| Defunct | 2013 |
| Fate | Acquired by GenCorp and merged to form Aerojet Rocketdyne |
| Successor | Aerojet Rocketdyne |
| Headquarters | Canoga Park, California , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Liquid-fueled rocket engines (RL10, RS-68, RS-25, SJ61, J-2X) |
| Owner | United Technologies Corporation (until 2013), then GenCorp, Inc. |
| Parent | United Technologies Corporation (until 2013), then GenCorp, Inc. |
Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne (PWR) was a United States-based firm focused on the engineering and manufacturing of liquid-fueled rocket engines. Functioning as a branch of Pratt & Whitney, itself a subsidiary under United Technologies Corporation, the company was headquartered in Canoga Park, California. In 2013, it was purchased by GenCorp,Inc. and subsequently integrated into Aerojet Rocketdyne.
History
The formation of Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne occurred in 2005 through the consolidation of Pratt & Whitney Space Propulsion with Boeing's Rocketdyne Propulsion & Power. This followed United Technologies Corporation's acquisition of Rocketdyne from Boeing. Although Boeing maintained ownership of the 2,800-acre Rocketdyne Santa Susana Field Laboratory located near Canoga Park, the majority of design and engineering operations took place at Pratt & Whitney Space Propulsion’s site near West Palm Beach, Florida.
In July 2012, United Technologies reached an agreement to divest Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne to GenCorp, which owns the rocket engine manufacturer Aerojet. The deal was finalized in June 2013, resulting in the creation of the merged organization known as Aerojet Rocketdyne.
Products
- Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne
- RL10 (LH2/LOX) – An engine recognized as an ASME Historic Landmark, developed by Pratt & Whitney. It has been utilized on the Saturn I, upper stages of the Delta IV, and the Centaur upper stage for both Atlas and Titan rockets. Additionally, it powered the vertical-landing McDonnell Douglas DC-X "Delta Clipper" and was intended for use in the Altair lunar lander. Presently, it is employed on the Atlas V, Vulcan Centaur, and Space Launch System (SLS) Block 1; planned for future SLS Block 1B and Block 2 configurations.
- RS-68 (LH2/LOX) – The primary first-stage engine designed for the Delta IV launch vehicle.
- RS-25 (LH2/LOX) – Served as the main propulsion system for the Space Shuttle, now adapted for use with SLS.
- SJ61 (JP-7/ingested air) – A dual-mode ramjet/scramjet engine powering the hypersonic demonstrator Boeing X-51.
- J-2X (LH2/LOX) – Created for the Earth Departure Stage of SLS Block II but subsequently replaced by an Exploration Upper Stage utilizing four RL10 engines.
See also
External links
- Articles with short description
- Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings
- Rocketdyne
- Rocketdyne engines
- Aerospace companies of the United States
- Manufacturing companies based in Los Angeles
- Former defense companies of the United States
- Technology companies based in Greater Los Angeles
- Canoga Park, Los Angeles
- United Technologies
- American companies established in 2005
- Manufacturing companies established in 2005
- Technology companies established in 2005
- American companies disestablished in 2013
- Manufacturing companies disestablished in 2013
- Technology companies disestablished in 2013
- 2005 establishments in California
- 2013 disestablishments in California
- Defunct companies based in Greater Los Angeles
- History of the San Fernando Valley
- 2013 mergers and acquisitions