Video Caption: Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne has completed a series of hot-fire tests of the 52,000-54,000lb-thrust Bantam demonstration engine for a”pusher” launch abort system on Boeing’s CST-100 spacecraft, under design for NASA’s Commercial Crew Development program. The motor “pushes” the spacecraft to safety if a launch is aborted. The tests were conducted in the California desert.

Boeing's CST-100 crew transport. (Credit: Boeing)

CANOGA PARK, Calif., March 12, 2012 (PR&W PR) — Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, a United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX) company, successfully completed a full-mission duration hot-fire test on a Launch Abort Engine (LAE) for Boeing’s Crew Space Transportation (CST)-100 spacecraft. The CST-100 spacecraft, designed to transport people to the International Space Station and other low-Earth orbit destinations, is in development under NASA’s Commercial Crew Development (CCDev) program.

The Service Module and Integrated Launch Abort propulsion system is a critical system for safe, reliable and affordable commercial crew transportation.  It is designed to push the crew capsule to safety if an abort is necessary.  If unused for an abort, the same propellant load can be used for other parts of the mission, including re-boosting the space station orbit. The LAE test was conducted in the California desert.

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Engine maker Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne has taken what Florida Today correctly calls a “thinly veiled swipe” at rival SpaceX. The company has put out the ad above that includes a microphone on the left side under the words “Other’s idea of making noise” and one of the company’s success launches on the other with the word “Ours.” The text below the image reads:

While the other guys launch powerful press conferences, we power launches of people and critical payloads. In fact, we’ve powered 14 launches in 12 months with 100% success. While the other guys deliver press conferences, we deliver astronauts and important communication, science and national defense payloads. So, before you listen to their next promise, scan the tag and watch all 14 zero-fail launches. At FutureSpaceUSA.com.

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This week on The Space Show…. Tuesday, June 28, 2011, 7-8:30 PM PDT: We welcome back Dr. Robert Zubrin to discuss his Mars manned mission plans. Thursday, June 30, 2011, 9:30-11AM PDT: We welcome Jim Maser of Pratt Whitney to discuss aerospace workforce issues for the United States. Mr. Maser has received significant press regarding his thoughts and comments on this topic over the past few months. Friday, July 1, […]

Sen. Richard Shelby

In an effort to improve the prospects of contractors in his own state, Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby is urging that NASA undertake competitive bidding for parts of the Space Launch System, specifically solid-rocket boosters produced in Utah. In a letter to NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, the Republican senator wrote:

I am concerned, therefore, that NASA is considering a Space Launch System architecture that relies on a booster system for the Space Shuttle. I am particularly concerned that this plan might be implemented without a meaningful competitive process. Designing a Space Launch System for heavy lift that relies on existing Shuttle boosters ties NASA, once again, to the high fixed costs associated with segmented solids. Moreover, I have seen no evidence that foregoing competition for the booster system will speed development of the SLS or, conversely, that introducing competition will slow the program down.

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DYNETICS PR — Dynetics and Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne (PWR) announced today at the National Space Symposium that PWR has joined the Rocket City Space Pioneers as the newest team member. The Rocket City Space Pioneers team is a group of businesses led by Dynetics, competing in the $30 million Google Lunar X PRIZE.

Tim Pickens, team leader of the Rocket City Space Pioneers, said: “Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne will be a key player on our team. We are very fortunate to have such a reputable space company with a proven history of success join us on our mission.”

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Orion abort motor test firing

As the United States moves toward building replacement vehicles for the retiring space shuttle, substantial attention is being focused on how to keep crews safe in the event of a booster malfunction. This has led to the development of innovative “pusher” abort systems with escape rockets below the vehicle instead of on top of it. These systems are being developed by Boeing, Blue Origin and SpaceX. Other key projects include an emergency detection system for the Atlas V and Delta IV boosters and an autonomous flight safety system to improve range operations.

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P&WR PR — CANOGA PARK, Calif., March 8, 2011 — Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne successfully completed a series of Hardware Acceptance Reviews on the first RS-68A production rocket engine, validating the world’s most powerful hydrogen-fueled engine is ready to power a heavy-lift vehicle into space in support of national security.  Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne is a United Technologies Corp. (NYSE :UTX) company.

“RS-68A engine 30003 has demonstrated all the requirements for flight over a wide range of operating conditions,” said Dan Adamski, RS-68 program manager, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne.  “We look forward to working with our customers to ensure the RS-68A engines powering the Delta IV Heavy launch vehicle are successful in delivering their important payload into orbit.”

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Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne tests a launch abort engine for Boeing’s CST-100 planned capsule in the California desert. The engine would power a “pusher” abort system designed to rocket the 7-crew capsule away from danger in the event of a problem with the booster. CST-100 is Boeing’s entry into NASA’s Commercial Crew Development program. A reader points me to this description of an earlier Rocketdyne project, the RS-88 engine, that […]