P&W Rocketdyne Successfully Completes Hot-Fire Tests

(Canoga Park, Calif., May 9, 2008) -- Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, a United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX) company, has spent the last several months successfully completing a series of hot-fire tests on heritage J-2 rocket engine components that are the basis for the new J-2X rocket engine.

The J-2X will power the nation's new Ares I and Ares V launch vehicles scheduled to send astronauts to the International Space Station and return them to the moon by 2020. These initial tests of hardware designated Powerpack 1-A, is providing valuable data to engine designers and paving the way for longer, full power hot-fire tests of actual J-2X engine hardware. It's also a significant milestone placing the J-2X engine one step closer to Critical Design Review scheduled for this fall, and placing the Constellation Program one step closer to reality.

"These powerpack tests provided us with very good data to help as we move forward in the designing and developing of the J-2X," said John Vilja, PWR's program manager for the J-2X. "It's truly exciting to witness and be part of the future as it's unfolding and these successful tests are a tangible piece of that future."

Source : Pratt & Whitney

Recent News / Press releases from Pratt & Whitney

• P&W PurePower PW1000G Engine Completes 1st Phase of Flight Testing [Aerospace] [Aviation] [ Fri 22 Aug 2008 ]
• PW308A-Powered WK2 Launch Aircraft for 1st Commercial Space Flight Debuts [Aerospace] [Space] [ Tue 29 Jul 2008 ]
• P&W Wins $533 M for V2500 Engines from Wizz Air [Aerospace] [Aviation] [ Mon 21 Jul 2008 ]
• P&W Wins $166 M for V2500 Engines from AWAS [Aerospace] [Aviation] [ Mon 21 Jul 2008 ]
• P&W Wins $130 M PW4000 Engine Order from Uzbekistan Airways [ Mon 21 Jul 2008 ]
• P&W Wins US$83 M for V2500 Engines from CIT Aerospace [Aerospace] [Aviation] [ Mon 21 Jul 2008 ]
• P&W Canada Leads Groundbreaking Biofuels Research Project [Aerospace] [Aviation] [ Mon 14 Jul 2008 ]