Aerojet Rocketdyne
U.S. aerospace/defense propulsion manufacturer that applies metal additive manufacturing to rocket engines and missile systems—demonstrated by a 3D-printed liquid oxygen/kerosene engine built in three parts—reducing part counts and lead times for flight hardware.
- CEO / Founder
- Eileen P. Drake
- Team Size
- 5001-10000
- Stage
- Acquired
- Latest Round
- Acquired
- Key Investors
- U.S. Department of War
Technology & Products
Key Products
RL10 upper-stage rocket engine with 3D-printed components; 3D-printed liquid oxygen/kerosene engine demonstrator (built from three parts); Liquid and solid rocket propulsion systems for space launch and missile defense; Strategic and tactical missile propulsion systems; Metal alloy additive manufacturing parts qualification and production (via 3DMT acquisition)
Technological Advantage
Aerojet Rocketdyne's AM advantage rests on integrating metal powder-bed fusion into the qualification of flight-propulsion hardware, first proven with a full 3D-printed engine in three parts and hot-fire-tested RL10 components. It is one of the few propulsion primes with an in-house AM service arm (3DMT acquisition) plus decades of combustion-device design data, making the capability more defensible than standalone AM machine shops. Core process know-how is protected through trade secrets, ITAR/DoD-qualified manufacturing, and proprietary alloy processing; the fundamental AM processes themselves are replicable by well-funded competitors, but Aerojet's propulsion heritage and qualification data create strong switching costs.
Differentiation
Value Proposition
For government and prime-contractor customers, vertically integrated metal AM (including the 2019 3DMT acquisition) cuts engine component part counts and lead times versus traditional machining, while maintaining the qualification, traceability, and hot-fire validation required for flight-propulsion hardware.
How They Differentiate
Compared to Relativity Space (full-vehicle 3D printing) and Rocket Lab (printed Rutherford engine), Aerojet Rocketdyne uses metal AM selectively on high-value propulsion components within a legacy-qualified manufacturing ecosystem, emphasizing flight heritage and part-count reduction rather than printing entire vehicles. It also internalized AM services provider 3DMT, giving in-house qualification, workforce, and supply-chain control.
Market & Competition
Target Customers
U.S. Department of Defense, NASA, prime defense contractors (Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Raytheon/RTX, Northrop Grumman), and launch providers (ULA, SpaceX).
Industry Verticals
Aerospace/Defense; Space; Missile Defense; Government (NASA, DoD)
Competitors
Relativity Space; Rocket Lab; SpaceX
Growth & Milestones
Growth Metrics
5,283 employees reported around 2022; acquired by L3Harris Technologies for $4.7B in 2023 following a terminated Lockheed Martin acquisition attempt in 2022.
Major Milestones
1915: Roots established via General Tire & Rubber Co., predecessor of GenCorp/Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings; 2014: Demonstrated a 3D-printed liquid oxygen/kerosene engine built in three parts; 2015: Corporate name changed from GenCorp, Inc. to Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings, Inc.; 2019: Acquired 3D Material Technologies (3DMT) to expand metal additive manufacturing capabilities; 2022: Lockheed Martin terminated its acquisition agreement after FTC opposition; L3Harris signed a $4.7B acquisition agreement in December 2022; 2023: L3Harris completed acquisition; Aerojet Rocketdyne became part of L3Harris
Notable Customers
NASA; U.S. Department of Defense; Lockheed Martin; Boeing; Raytheon Technologies (RTX); Northrop Grumman; United Launch Alliance; SpaceX
Recent coverage of Aerojet Rocketdyne
Funding rounds
- Series A$1B2026-04Lead: U.S. Department of War · Source: MarketScreener
- Grant2004-09Source: Tracxn