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Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne to Boost Italian Defense and Disaster Prevention Satellite

Bryan Kidder
Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne
818 586-2213
bryan.kidder@pwr.utc.com

Carri Karuhn
Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne
818 586-4963
carri.karuhn@pwr.utc.com

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 21, 2008 - Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, a United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX) company, will help Italy further its national defense and disaster prevention by boosting a radar satellite into space on Oct. 24. COSMO-SkyMed 3, a satellite with both civilian and military applications, will be onboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket powered by a Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne RS-27A engine. The rocket, launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, will mark the 225th flight boosted by the RS-27 family of engines.

COSMO-SkyMed 3 (Constellation of Small Satellites for Mediterranean Basin Observation) is the third of four identical satellites developed by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and the Italian Defense Ministry. It will help forecast floods and landslides, coordinate aid during fires and earthquakes, and control and manage potential crises.

“Powering this flight in support of United Launch Alliance, ASI and the Italian Defense Ministry is very rewarding, and we are honored to be part of a mission that will help our international friends better prepare and respond to disasters,” said Elizabeth Jones, RS-27 program manager, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne.

The COSMO-SkyMed system is a constellation of four radar satellites that will monitor and survey the entire planet for environmental, strategic, scientific and commercial purposes. It will use high-resolution radar that can observe Earth during night and day, under all weather conditions. Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne powered the United Launch Alliance launch of SkyMed 1 and 2 in June and December 2007, respectively.

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.