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Aerojet Engines Critical to Launch of STS-125 for Hubble Space Telescope Servicing
SACRAMENTO, Calif., May 11, 2009 – Aerojet, a GenCorp (NYSE: GY) company, announced today that its engines helped launch the Space Shuttle Atlantis from Kennedy Space Center on the last Shuttle mission to the Hubble Space Telescope. Aerojet propulsion was used to support the launch for on-orbit operations and will be used during landing.
Seven astronauts will perform five spacewalks on this 11-day mission to conduct final servicing and repair services on the Hubble Space Telescope. This is the 126th Space Shuttle flight.
Launched into orbit in 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope has circled the Earth more than 97,000 times providing scientists around the world with invaluable scientific data and spectacular images throughout the past 19 years.
Aerojet’s Orbital Maneuvering Engines, 38 primary and six Vernier thrusters on each Orbiter, as well as gas generators supporting the Auxiliary Power Units, have flown on every Shuttle mission since its launch inception in 1981. This technology is critical to the Shuttle’s maneuvering abilities, the external tank separation, control of the entry vehicle and de-orbit efforts. "Providing the on-orbit propulsion for NASA to deploy and subsequently repair and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope is something we are all proud of here at Aerojet," said Aerojet’s Director of Business Development, Joe Cassady. Aerojet engines and thrusters are also planned for use on Orion and Ares – the new human space flight programs under development at NASA.
Aerojet is a world-recognized aerospace and defense leader principally serving the missile and space propulsion, defense and armaments markets. GenCorp is a leading technology-based manufacturer of aerospace and defense products and systems with a real estate segment that includes activities related to the entitlement, sale, and leasing of the company’s excess real estate assets. Additional information about Aerojet and GenCorp can be obtained by visiting the companies’ Web sites at http://www.Aerojet.com and http://www.GenCorp.com.
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