NASA Awards Orion Main Engine Contract for Future Artemis Missions

NASA has awarded a contract to Aerojet Rocketdyne Inc. of Redmond, Washington, for the development of the Orion Main Engine (OME), which will be used on the Orion spacecraft as part of the agency’s Artemis program.

The contract includes certification of the OME design, production, and special studies and tasks. It is a single-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with firm-fixed-price orders. The period of performance is from Sept. 21, 2021, through April 23, 2032, with a maximum value of $600 million.

The OME will be integrated into Orion’s primary power and propulsion component, the European Service Module, and will replace the Orbital Maneuvering System Engine repurposed from the Space Shuttle Program for the service module on Artemis missions VII through XIV. The contract also will allow for the procurement of additional engines for other NASA exploration programs.