Aerojet Rocketdyne delivers propulsion for Artemis III mission

Aerojet Rocketdyne recently completed the four RS-25 engines that will power the core stage of NASA’s super heavy-lift Space Launch System SLS rocket during the historic Artemis III mission. Slated for launch around the middle of the decade, Artemis III is a planned lunar landing mission that will return humans to the surface of the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years. "The Artemis III mission is pivotal in our nation’s goal to return American astronauts to the surface of the Moon, establish a sustained presence there and pave the way for crewed missions to Mars," said Eileen P. Drake, Aerojet Rocketdyne CEO and president. "As our nation makes this next giant leap in its space program, it is leveraging the extensive knowledge and lessons learned that were gained during our earlier exploration efforts, including the Apollo, Space Shuttle and Artemis I missions. We are truly standing on the shoulders of those who pioneered the exploration of deep space." The four RS-25 engines that will power the SLS rocket’s core stage during the Artemis III mission have been upgraded following their service during the shuttle program and will now generate about 2 million pounds of combined thrust. The Artemis III RS-25 engines safely flew 138 individual astronauts to orbit and supported 26 Space Shuttle missions.