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Engineers at NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center conducted another successful test firing of Aerojet's AJ26 engine No. 8 on Dec. 15, continuing their support of Orbital Sciences Corporation as the company prepares to launch commercial cargo missions to the International Space Station.
This marks the last planned test for this calendar year with the next test (on Engine No. 9) targeted for late January. Once the data is reviewed and the engine is inspected, it will be shipped to the launch site at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia for installation on Orbital's Antares rocket. Antares will be the permanent operational name for the medium-class launch vehicle created by its research and development program formerly known as Taurus II.
The Aerojet engines will power the first stage of the Antares rockets. Orbital is part of NASA's ongoing Commercial Orbital Transportation Services contract.
For more information about NASA exploration, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/exploration
For information about Stennis, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/stennis
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