GenCorp Inc.- [GY] subsidiary Aerojet completed a NASA Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP) mission concept study in June that demonstrated the ability to reduce the mission cost for NASA human exploration cargo missions by more than 50 percent through the use of existing flight-proven SEP systems, the company said in a statement.
Self-funded under a collaborative Space Act Agreement, Aerojet’s SEP mission concept study yielded a solution that uses the same flight-proven electric propulsion approach that supports the Air Force Advanced-Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) SV-2. By providing the aerospace community with SEP vehicle designs that operate at power levels ranging from nine to 30 kW and use flight-proven technologies, Aerojet provides both a low-risk, affordable approach to NASA exploration cargo missions and a stepping stone to next-generation higher power SEP transportation vehicles.
“Aerojet is continuing to work with NASA to establish the best path forward,” Aerojet Executive Director for Systems and Technology Development Roger Myers said recently in an email. “In parallel to these potential near-term operational missions, we are providing input to NASA to help identify required technologies for next generation higher power systems. We are also evaluating the utility of these SEP systems for various Defense Department applications with a focus on reducing the cost of satellite delivery.”