NASA Pushes Deep Space Exploration: Aerojet Rocketdyne Gets $67M Contract For Advanced Electric Propulsion System

Deep space exploration is being advanced by NASA in awarding Aerojet Rocketdyne Inc. a fund of $67 million to develop a fuel-effiicient propulsion system. NASA is mainly after Aerojet Rocketdyne to develop an electric propulsion system that would allow space exploration boundaries to be pushed.

How many RS-25 engines @AerojetRdyne’s Stennis facility do you see? RS25 https://t.co/CoJfHpzSV5

— Aerojet Rocketdyne (@AerojetRdyne) April 20, 2016

The oil efficency of the new system planned between NASA and the Washington DC-based Aerojet Rocketdyne is a significant move. This is because space exploration will be able to use a combination of chemical and fuel energy throughout its process, which also is a huge milestone for NASA.

An electric propulsion system will afford NASA to bring down the cost of missions and exploration, so to speak, using a system that requires far less fuel than does a chemical propulsion system. This way, more funds can be allocated to other NASA projects and programs.

Double the thrust & 10x fuel efficiency? @AerojetRdyne is working w/ #NASAtech to improve Solar Electric Propulsion https://t.co/ABkym51oiC — NASA Technology (@NASA_Technology) April 19, 2016

The Verge reports that the electric propulsion system by Aerojet Rocketdyne will eventually be used by NASA for both the Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) and the Mars mission, which is scheduled for 2020. Using the new electric propulsion system the ARM will have a crew-less craft bring a boulder piece from an asteroid to the Moon's orbit.

While a prototype of the electric propulsion system already exists, NASA has tasked Aerojet Rocketdyne to develop the Advanced Electric Propulsion System (AEPS) further. All within the 36 months covered by their contract.

Lonely world sits quietly in the darkness of space without even a host sun. See what it is: https://t.co/a1TGqsSkVM pic.twitter.com/wVsk0Nv5b9

— NASA (@NASA) April 19, 2016

ZDNet reports that Steve Jurczyk, of NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD), stated that NASA is aiming to have Aerojet Rocketdyne's AEPS ready for a demonstration mission. However, it won't be anytime soon.

"Through this contract, NASA will be developing advanced electric propulsion elements for initial spaceflight applications," Steve Jurczyk said. "Which will pave the way for an advanced solar electric propulsion demonstration mission by the end of the decade."