When the final space shuttle flight departs for the International Space Station this month, it will be carried into orbit by engines from the rocket division of East Hartford aerospace manufacturer Pratt & Whitney.
Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, based in California, manufacturer the three Space Shuttle Main Engines that will power the Space Shuttle Atlantis on the last shuttle mission. The takeoff is scheduled for Friday, although it could be delayed.
Pratt’s engines have powered the majority of space shuttle flights since the program started in 1981.
“The Space Shuttle Main Engines have laid the foundation of safety, performance and innovation for continued space exploration,” said Jim Paulsen, SSME program manager for Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, in a press release.
Pratt & Whitney is a subsidiary of Hartford conglomerate United Technologies Corp.
