CANOGA PARK, Calif. – An Atlas V launch vehicle rose from the pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., March 19 to deliver the second Space Based Infrared System Geosynchronous satellite GEO 2 into orbit – thanks to propulsion provided by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne and RD AMROSS.
The United Launch Alliance Atlas V is powered by the RD AMROSS RD-180 booster engine and a Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne RL10A-4-2 upper-stage engine. Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne is a United Technologies Corp. company. RD AMROSS LLC is a joint venture of Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne and NPO Energomash.
“With its third mission in as many months, the RL10 is off to an excellent start in its 50th year of successfully placing payloads into orbit,” said Christine Cooley, RL10 program manager, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne. “Congratulations to the entire RL10 team for another job well done.”
“The RD-180 continues to show its muster in boosting payloads into space,” said Bill Parsons, president and CEO of RD AMROSS. “We look forward to working with our customers and providing reliable power to launch on future missions.”
The SBIRS program features a mix of satellites in geosynchronous orbit that are designed to provide resilient and improved missile-warning capabilities for the nation and allied countries. The satellites also contribute toward missile defense and technical intelligence for the U.S. military.
