CANOGA PARK, Calif. -- Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, a United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX) company, completed a series of successful tests on a gas generator for the J-2X rocket engine. The J-2X engine will power the nation's new Ares I and Ares V second-stage launch vehicles scheduled to send United States astronauts to the International Space Station and back to the moon by 2020.

The gas generator for the J-2X will use the same technology currently used on the proven RS-68, the largest liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen rocket engine developed to power the Delta IV family of expendable launch vehicle. Tests on this newly designed generator have helped determine the performance and stability of the J-2X configuration and have helped engineers finalize the specifications for the unit to be tested on the powerpack and development engines. This unit is the first full-scale hot-fire testing for J-2X components.

"We are using heritage technology with a successful track record of reliability and performance and applying modern technology to create a safer, more efficient product for our customer," said John Vilja, J-2X program manager, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne. "It's a dynamic blend of modern science and proven technology as we move into the next-generation of space-launch vehicles. This approach will significantly reduce the overall cost of the development program."

The J-2X engine uses legacy technology from both the J-2 and J-2S engines in the design and development of the fuel pump and oxidizer pumps.

Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, Inc., a part of Pratt & Whitney, is a preferred provider of high-value propulsion, power, energy and innovative system solutions used in a wide variety of government and commercial applications, including the main engines for the space shuttle, Atlas and Delta launch vehicles, missile defense systems and advanced hypersonic engines.

Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines, space propulsion systems and industrial gas turbines. United Technologies, based in Hartford, Conn., is a diversified company providing high technology products and services to the global aerospace and building industries.