If the ill-conceived decision to depend on Russian launch capability for at least two years, which was part of George W. Bush's plan for our Space Program, results in the loss of talent still working at Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, it will be at the very least a setback that may take a decade to recover from.
I'm in favor of the commercialization of space and American (actually human) launch capabilities, but it isn't imminent, even if we use aggressive estimates of existing companies vying for leadership. Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne needs to become more competitive, but that doesn't require throwing them to the wolves. It would be a sad loss for not just our country, but everyone who believes we have a role to play outside the confines of this planet.
Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne Completes Assembly of Fuel Turbopump on NASA's J-2X Rocket Engine
The J-2X fuel turbopump assembly follows the successful assembly of the oxidizer turbopump, which delivers high-pressure liquid oxygen to the main injector. The engine, whose first hot-fire tests are planned for early 2011 at Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, has the characteristics to power the upper-stage of a heavy-lift launch vehicle.
"Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne continues to demonstrate readiness and the capability to support NASA as the nation embarks upon the next era of human spaceflight," said Jim Maser, president, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne.
John Vilja, vice president and program manager for the J-2X engine, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, said the J-2X is a significant and long overdue development in upper-stage propulsion. "The J-2X will prove vital in continuing U.S. space exploration, advancing engineering skills, creating opportunities for missions beyond low-Earth orbit, and even providing opportunities for adaptation to alternate fuels in space," Vilja said.
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