Aerojet Rocketdyne executives: AR1 is 'not a make or break'

By Marjorie Censer / June 9, 2017 at 4:47 PM

Aerojet Rocketdyne executives this week downplayed the importance of the company's AR1 rocket engine being selected by United Launch Alliance, arguing it's not a "make or break" program.

Aerojet's AR1 rocket engine is up against Blue Origin's BE-4 to power ULA's Vulcan rocket. ULA has said it plans to make a decision this year.

Speaking at Aerojet Rocketdyne's investor day, Eileen Drake, the company's chief executive, said if the company's AR1 wasn't selected, it wouldn't be "a revenue loss because we've never had that engine."

Paul Lundstrom, Aerojet's chief financial officer, said at the same event the company sees AR1 "purely as upside."

"This is not a make or break,” he said. "There's a pretty significant misconception that, oh my gosh, if AR1 doesn't go our way, we're in big trouble. That's absolutely not true."

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