Dynetics F-1 SLS Booster Press Release

In April 2012 Huntsville-based Dynetics issued a press release announcing a partnership with Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne to compete for an SLS Booster Engineering Demonstration using technology based on the F-1 rocket engine. Somewhere along the line, Dynetics revamped their Website and apparently did not save the press release, and for whatever reason archive.org's Wayback Machine doesn't have a copy of the release.

I saved a copy of the press release, which I reproduce here:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DYNETICS AND PRATT & WHITNEY ROCKETDYNE ANNOUNCE EXCLUSIVE PARTNERSHIP TO COMPETE FOR NASA SLS BOOSTER CONTRACT

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., April 18, 2012 — Dynetics and Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne (PWR) announced here today at the National Space Symposium a long-term partnership to compete for the NASA Space Launch System (SLS) Advanced Booster Engineering Demonstration and/or Risk Reduction (ABEDRR) procurement. Under this agreement, Dynetics and PWR are exclusive partners with respect to use of the proven Saturn V F-1 rocket engine technology.

"The SLS booster procurement requires a team that can balance affordability, innovation and experience throughout the life cycle – from development to production and operations," said Steve Cook, Dynetics director of space technologies. "Dynetics and PWR have formed such a team, offering a wide-ranging set of risk-reduction activities and demonstrations that enable a superior booster solution."

Leading the SLS team as project manager is Kimberly Doering, a 28-year aerospace veteran with 13 years’ experience at NASA, including serving as deputy program manager of the Space Shuttle program. Doering most recently served as vice president of United Space Alliance's corporate business development and strategic planning, and vice president of Huntsville operations.

Ron Ramos, PWR's vice president for Exploration and Missile Defense, explained the proven technology of the team. He said, "We offer a domestic booster design that takes advantage of the flight-proven Apollo-Saturn F-1, still the most powerful U.S. liquid rocket engine ever flown. PWR is the only company to have returned a Saturn-era engine, the J-2X, to production. We bring unique lessons to the Advanced Booster cost and performance trades."

The F-1 is ideally suited to the Advanced Booster, providing an ideal combination of high thrust-to-weight and reliability in a low-cost package, according to Cook and Ramos. "The high-cost non-recurring engineering typical of engine development was accomplished during the Apollo-Saturn program, and significant risks (e.g., turbopump design and combustion stability) were eliminated, so our team can focus on booster affordability rather than technical feasibility," Cook said.

Dynetics has demonstrated an aggressive approach to low-cost innovation on space programs, such as Paul Allen's Stratolaunch Systems and the FASTSAT microsatellite, and brings those lean system management methodologies to the proposed program. PWR, the original F-1 designer and producer, is the only U.S. company to develop and manufacture cryogenic engines over 200,000-lbf thrust. They bring successes from developing the RS-68 commercially, and their approach to engine manufacturing enables affordability at low production rates.

David King, Dynetics executive vice president, said, "Our integrated team offers an ideal mix of proven leadership; successful related experience; and innovative, low-cost, commercial management practices to enable an affordable and effective engineering demonstration and risk-reduction effort."

I also have the original PDF press release available: Dynetics April 18, 2012 Press Release.