Aerojet Rocketdyne tests the AR1 preburner at NASA’s Stennis Space Center. Photo: Aerojet Rocketdyne

Aerojet Rocketdyne announced it is moving forward with plans to produce its newest advanced rocket engine, the AR1, in Huntsville, Alabama, resulting in the creation of 100 new jobs, according to the company. AR1 is the company’s latest liquid rocket engine in development.

Aerojet Rocketdyne is currently developing and testing AR1 engine systems and is on schedule to deliver a certified engine in 2019 to meet the congressionally mandated deadline to end U.S. dependence on foreign engine suppliers for national security and civil space launches.

This latest Southeast expansion is the third such announcement from Aerojet Rocketdyne within the last year. Recently, the company announced the establishment of its Defense Business Unit headquarters and the relocation of its Rocket Shop Defense Advanced Programs division to Huntsville also. Additionally, Aerojet Rockedyne is expanding its presence at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi to accommodate final assembly and hot fire testing of AR1 as well as assembly and hot fire testing of the RS-25 rocket engine that will power NASA’s new Space Launch System (SLS) beginning in 2018. The RS-25 produces more than 500,000 pounds of thrust and can be used to power single or multiple missions.