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Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne
Division
Industry Aerospace
Fate Acquired
Predecessor Pratt & Whitney Space Propulsion
Boeing Rocketdyne
Successor Aerojet Rocketdyne
Founded 2005
Defunct 2013
Headquarters
Canoga Park, California
,
United States
Products Rocket Engines
Propulsion Systems
Energy Systems
Extreme Engineering Services
Parent United Technologies Corporation

Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne (PWR) was an American company. It designed and built special rocket engines. These engines used liquid fuels to power rockets into space.

PWR was part of Pratt & Whitney. This company was owned by United Technologies Corporation. Its main office was in Canoga Park, California. In 2013, another company called GenCorp bought PWR. It then became part of Aerojet Rocketdyne.

How Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne Started

Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne was created in 2005. Two companies joined together to form it. These were Pratt & Whitney Space Propulsion and Boeing Rocketdyne Propulsion & Power.

United Technologies Corporation bought Rocketdyne from Boeing. Most of the engineering work happened in Florida. This was at the Pratt & Whitney Space Propulsion facility.

In July 2012, United Technologies Corporation decided to sell PWR. They sold it to GenCorp. GenCorp also owned another rocket engine maker, Aerojet. The sale was finished in June 2013. Then, PWR and Aerojet combined. They formed a new company called Aerojet Rocketdyne.

What Rocket Engines Did They Make?

Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne made many important rocket engines. These engines helped power different rockets and spacecraft.

  • RL10
    • This engine used liquid hydrogen (LH2) and liquid oxygen (LOX) as fuel.
    • It was a very important engine, recognized as an ASME Historic Landmark.
    • The RL10 was used on the Saturn I rocket. It also powered the upper stages of the Delta IV and Atlas V rockets.
    • It was even used on the experimental McDonnell Douglas DC-X "Delta Clipper" vehicle.
  • RS-68
    • This engine also used liquid hydrogen (LH2) and liquid oxygen (LOX).
    • It was the main engine for the first stage of the Delta IV rocket.
  • RS-25
    • This engine, also known as the Space Shuttle Main Engine, used LH2 and LOX.
    • It was a very powerful engine. It helped launch the Space Shuttle into orbit.
Pratt Whitney Rocketdyne space shuttle main engines
RS-25 Space Shuttle Main Engines
  • SJ61
    • This was a special engine called a dual-mode ramjet/scramjet.
    • It used jet fuel (JP-7) and air from outside.
    • The SJ61 was tested on the Boeing X-51 vehicle. This vehicle flew at very high speeds.
  • J-2X
    • This engine was being developed in 2013. It used LH2 and LOX.
    • It was planned for the Earth Departure Stage of the Space Launch System. This system is for future space missions.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne para niños