Lockheed Martin awarded Aerojet Rocketdyne a $67 million contract option for Orion propulsion hardware planned for Artemis VI–VIII, the company announced April 19, 2023. The work is managed from Redmond, Washington, in the Seattle area, and also involves facilities in Alabama and Virginia. The option covers three sets of auxiliary engines and three Launch Abort System jettison motors—not the separate Orion Main Engine contract NASA awarded in 2021.
What the $67 million contract option covers
The April 2023 award extends work under the existing Orion Production and Operations Contract. Lockheed Martin, Orion’s prime contractor, awarded the option to Aerojet Rocketdyne for propulsion hardware planned for three spacecraft associated with Artemis VI–VIII. The company’s announcement describes the specific hardware:
- Three shipsets of service-module auxiliary engines: Each set contains eight engines, for 24 engines across the option. Each produces 105 pounds of thrust and helps maintain Orion’s trajectory and position in space, supplementing the Orion Main Engine.
- Three Launch Abort System jettison motors: Each produces 40,000 pounds of thrust and separates the Launch Abort System from the crew module during normal operations or an abort.
The award release identifies the hardware and intended mission range, but does not give launch dates or establish whether all the hardware has since been delivered.
Why the work is described as Seattle-area production
Redmond, Washington, is the Seattle-area location named in Aerojet Rocketdyne’s announcement: the company said the work would be managed and performed there. The award also involves facilities in Huntsville, Alabama, and Orange County, Virginia, so it would be inaccurate to describe the entire option as built only in the Seattle region.
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NASA’s Orion spacecraft reference identifies Redmond as the production location for Orion’s auxiliary engines and crew-module reaction-control thrusters. NASA describes the jettison motor as a combined effort of the Orange and Huntsville facilities. Separately, NASA’s overview of Aerojet Rocketdyne’s Orion work includes eight auxiliary engines and 12 crew-module reaction-control thrusters, as well as the jettison motor and high-pressure helium tanks for Orion’s flotation system. Those are broader program details, not the quantities in this particular 2023 option.
How this differs from NASA’s Orion Main Engine contract
The $67 million option is for auxiliary engines and jettison motors. It is not the Orion Main Engine award. NASA announced a separate Main Engine development contract with Aerojet Rocketdyne on September 21, 2021. NASA said that contract had a maximum value of $600 million and a performance period through April 23, 2032. It covered certification, production, studies, and related tasks; the engine was intended for integration into Orion’s European Service Module and to replace the repurposed Space Shuttle Orbital Maneuvering System Engine on Artemis VII–XIV.
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| Contract | Awarding customer and date | Scope and mission range | Stated value | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Orion propulsion option | Lockheed Martin; announced April 19, 2023 | Three shipsets of eight auxiliary engines and three Launch Abort System jettison motors; planned for Artemis VI–VIII | $67 million, according to Aerojet Rocketdyne’s 2023 announcement | Additional hardware under the existing Orion Production and Operations Contract |
| 2021 Orion Main Engine contract | NASA; announced September 21, 2021 | Main Engine development and related work; NASA specified Artemis VII–XIV | Maximum $600 million, according to NASA’s 2021 announcement | Separate development and production contract; performance through April 23, 2032 |
The two figures describe different procurements and different hardware scopes; they should not be added together or treated as prices for equivalent equipment. NASA’s 2021 Main Engine announcement sets out that separate award.
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