The extension increases Aerojet's first-stage engine configuration optimization phase contract to $2.9 million and will enable the start-up of full-scale development of the engine.

Aerojet expects to complete the engine configuration trade studies by mid-2001, then begin full-scale engine development and verification under a separate 14-month, $31 million contract. Production will follow through 2010 and will be worth potentially $163 million to Aerojet.

Aerojet is developing the first-stage engine and related engine hardware and software to be integrated into a Lockheed Martin Astronautics Atlas II-derivative first stage vehicle.

Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries (IHI) Company in Japan is the prime contractor for the vehicle and awarded Aerojet the extension.

"The extension of this program is a signal from IHI indicating its confidence in the future of commercial launch vehicles," said Bill Hoffman, Aerojet J-I Upgrade business development manager.

The J-I Upgrade will be a commercial launch vehicle capable of placing a one-ton payload into a sun-synchronous orbit. The payload will carry commercial communication satellites and Japanese NASDA experimental payloads. It is a two-stage-to-orbit liquid propulsion vehicle.

To meet the low-cost and high-performance goals of the program, Aerojet is using existing technology from the modified Russian NK-33 engine it developed for the Kistler K-1 launch vehicle.

With much of the engine upgrades, analysis and testing already complete, Aerojet only has to tailor the specifications and performance of the engine for the J-I upgrade vehicle.

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