Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne is a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX). RD AMROSS LLC is a joint venture of Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne and NPO Energomash. The Atlas V launched the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program, F18 spacecraft for the U.S. Air Force. Built by Lockheed Martin, this polar-orbiting weather satellite will be used by the military for strategic and tactical weather prediction to aid the U.S. military in planning operations at sea, on land and in the air. The Atlas V Centaur upper stage is powered by a single RL10A-4-2 engine that delivers 22,300 pounds of thrust. For more than 46 years, the RL10 has been one of the United States' most reliable upper-stage engines. The Atlas V booster stage is powered by the RD-180 engine delivering nearly 1 million pounds of thrust. The RD-180 is the only liquid oxygen-kerosene fueled engine with an oxygen-rich staged combustion cycle flying in the United States today.
Satnews Daily
October 19th, 2009
DMSP-F18 Gets Its Boost From Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne
Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne is a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX). RD AMROSS LLC is a joint venture of Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne and NPO Energomash. The Atlas V launched the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program, F18 spacecraft for the U.S. Air Force. Built by Lockheed Martin, this polar-orbiting weather satellite will be used by the military for strategic and tactical weather prediction to aid the U.S. military in planning operations at sea, on land and in the air. The Atlas V Centaur upper stage is powered by a single RL10A-4-2 engine that delivers 22,300 pounds of thrust. For more than 46 years, the RL10 has been one of the United States' most reliable upper-stage engines. The Atlas V booster stage is powered by the RD-180 engine delivering nearly 1 million pounds of thrust. The RD-180 is the only liquid oxygen-kerosene fueled engine with an oxygen-rich staged combustion cycle flying in the United States today.