Nov 23 2010
Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne today helped boost a classified satellite for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.
The satellite was onboard a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket, powered by three Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne RS-68 engines and one upper-stage RL10B-2 engine. Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne is a United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX) company.
A United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy launches with a National Reconnaissance Office payload at Space Launch Complex-37 at 5:58 p.m. EST. The Delta IV Heavy with its nearly 2 million pounds of thrust is America's most powerful liquid fueled rocket. This was the fourth launch of a Delta IV heavy in program history.
"The three RS-68 engines performed exactly as expected, boosting the heavy-lift Delta vehicle with the power our customers expect for such important missions," said Jim Maus, director of Expendable Propulsion Programs, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne. "We congratulate our United Launch Alliance customer on another successful launch."
Christine Cooley, RL10 program manager, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, said, "The RL10 continues to be the reliable source of upper-stage propulsion, contributing to the successful placement of the payload into orbit."
Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, a part of Pratt & Whitney, is a preferred provider of high-value propulsion, power, energy and innovative system solutions used in a wide variety of government and commercial applications, including the main engines for the space shuttle, Atlas and Delta launch vehicles, missile defense systems and advanced hypersonic engines.