Aerojet Rocketdyne has played a role in the placement of the US Navy´s fifth mobile user objective system (MUOS) secure, tactical communications satellite into orbit, the company said.
This mission was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. Aerojet Rocketdyne propulsion included an RL10C-1 upper-stage engine, five Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs), six helium pressurization tanks and a dozen Centaur upper-stage thrusters used for roll, pitch, yaw and settling burns.
Aerojet Rocketdyne´s role in the launch began during liftoff when five SRBs ignited to provide nearly 1.9 million pounds of total increased thrust to launch the Atlas V rocket . All Atlas V launches requiring extra boost have flown Aerojet Rocketdyne SRBs.
MUOS-5 is the latest addition to a network of orbiting satellites and relay ground stations. Users with operational MUOS terminals will be able to connect beyond line-of-sight around the world and into the global information grid. The Navy´s executive office for space systems and its communications satellite program office in San Diego, is responsible for the MUOS program.
Aerojet Rocketdyne a subsidiary of Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:AJRD) in the aerospace and defense markets that provides propulsion and energetics to the space, missile defense and strategic systems, tactical systems and armaments areas, in support of domestic and international markets.
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