From PR Newswire: Aerojet Fires Advanced Development Roll Control Thruster Targeted for Ares I Application

Aerojet Fires Advanced Development Roll Control Thruster Targeted for Ares I Application:

"The Ares Roll Control System Advanced Development Program was awarded in the spring of 2007 for development based on Aerojet's heritage MR-80 600 lbf-class monopropellant rocket engine. The MR80 had previously flown on the NASA Viking missions to Mars, where it provided throttling of greater than 70:1 for a terminal descent and soft landing. The thruster was redesigned for pulsing application with the new valve and Aerojet also implemented a series of product improvements to reduce the recurring unit costs of the engines. The design improvements were obtained using the Design for Manufacturability and Assembly (DFMA) process which is part of Aerojet's overall Operational Excellence initiative."