GlobeNewswire Inc | Feb 12, 2021 08:00AM EST

February 12, 2021

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aerojet Rocketdyne recently received a contract award to deliver up to two Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (MMRTG) to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for use in future planetary science missions. MMRTGs are radioisotope power systems that have been used as reliable electrical power sources on multiple deep space missions, including NASAs Perseverance Rover, which will land on Mars on Feb. 18.

Both MMRTGs will be fabricated and tested by Aerojet Rocketdyne and its teammate Teledyne Energy Systems prior to delivery to DOEs Idaho National Laboratory, where the units will be fueled and readied for launch based on mission timelines.

While the specific missions each unit will support have not yet been determined, the MMRTG is well suited for a variety of environments, said Aerojet Rocketdyne CEO and President Eileen P. Drake. The MMRTG is multi-mission capable, meaning that it can operate on the surface of planets and moons in a planetary atmosphere or in the vacuum of space.

The MMRTG produces dependable electrical power by converting the heat from plutonium 238 radioactive decay into electricity. A single unit can provide reliable, long-lasting electrical power to a spacecraft or planetary rover, enabling exploration of the deepest corners of the solar system, where the great distance from the Sun dramatically reduces the effectiveness of solar arrays.

The MMRTG will power NASAs Dragonfly mission to explore Saturns moon Titan, and is being considered for the Trident mission to explore Neptunes largest moon Triton, which is believed to have a liquid ocean.

About Aerojet Rocketdyne: Aerojet Rocketdyne, a subsidiary of Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:AJRD), is a world-recognized aerospace and defense leader that provides propulsion systems and energetics to the space, missile defense and strategic systems, and tactical systems areas, in support of domestic and international customers. For more information, visit www.Rocket.com and www.AerojetRocketdyne.com. Follow Aerojet Rocketdyne and CEO Eileen Drake on Twitter at @AerojetRdyne and @DrakeEileen.

Media Contacts:Ashley Riser, Aerojet Rocketdyne, 571-236-4091Ashley.Riser@rocket.comMary Engola, Aerojet Rocketdyne, 571-289-1371Mary.Engola@rocket.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/60835f44-0f47-4af3-bf9b-ad9e18512caa