RS-25 Rocket Engine — Space Launch System Core Stage Propulsion
Description
Aerojet Rocketdyne (now L3Harris Technologies / Aerojet Rocketdyne) is the leading US liquid rocket engine manufacturer, producing the RS-25 (Space Shuttle Main Engine / SSME) used to power NASA's Space Launch System (SLS). Each SLS Block 1 uses four RS-25 engines generating 1.86 MN (418,000 lbf) thrust each at sea level (2.09 MN in vacuum) fueled by liquid hydrogen / liquid oxygen propellant. The RS-25 has an extraordinary heritage — all 135 Space Shuttle missions used RS-25 engines with zero in-flight failures over 46 years of operation. Refurbished Shuttle-era RS-25s powered the Artemis 1 uncrewed lunar test mission (November 2022) and Artemis 2 crewed lunar flyby (planned 2025). Aerojet Rocketdyne is manufacturing new RS-25E engines (Expendable version for SLS) under a $3.5B NASA contract for missions Artemis 5+. The company also produces the RL-10 upper stage engine (Delta IV, Atlas V, Vulcan Centaur, SLS EUS), the AR-1 kerosene/LOX engine for national security launches, the RL-60 for future upper stage applications, and MR-80 propulsion for Mars landers. AR is also the leading supplier of spacecraft thrusters, electric propulsion Hall thrusters, and solid rocket motors for ICBM programs.