Aerojet, a GenCorp company, announced June 20 that it has recognized ValveTech Inc. of Phelps. N.Y., with an Exceptional Supplier Award for the corporation’s 20 consecutive months of on-time deliveries.
ValveTech is a key supplier to Aerojet for its monopropellant hydrazine product line.
The company furnishes valves for the majority of the approximately 400 thrusters per year that Aerojet’s Redmond facility delivers throughout the global marketplace. Critical to planetary exploration missions, Global Positioning System satellites and several geosynchronous spacecraft platforms, hydrazine is the fuel of choice for a variety of in-space propulsion needs.
“ValveTech is very pleased to receive this award,” said ValveTech President Mike Mullally. “We have been furnishing space-qualified hardware for Aerojet thrusters since 2000 and look forward to a greater role into the future.”
ValveTech valves are flying on a variety of Aerojet-supported spacecraft. NASA’s five THEMIS satellites used Aerojet propulsion systems that included ValveTech valves on the thrusters and the supplier’s miniature latch valve on the system. When the Mars Science Laboratory arrives at Mars in August 2012, ValveTech valves will assist with the actively guided descent as part of Aerojet’s MR-107U 68 lbf thrusters.
“A company’s product is only as good as its suppliers’ capability and performance,” said Hal Martin, Aerojet vice president, Supply Chain. “ValveTech’s commitment to quality and on-time delivery makes them a valued partner for meeting the challenges of in-space propulsion.”
