The Orion Propulsion / Dynetics Propulsion Story


Dynetics purchased Orion Propulsion Inc. (OPI) in December 2009 forming Dynetics Propulsion. Tim Pickens joined Dynetics to head the newly formed Dynetics Propulsion and continues to build on the Orion Propulsion / Dynetics Propulsion success story.

Tim Pickens started OPI in 2004, headquartered in Huntsville, AL  and grew it to a $6.4 million company with 40 employees within five years. Tim Pickens decided to create OPI after leading in-house propulsion development for SpaceShipOne at Scaled Composites, LLC.

OPI was a small woman-owned aerospace company specializing in spacecraft and rocket propulsion design and fabrication, testing services, ground support equipment, and launch operations support. Tim’s vision was to start a company that excelled in designing, fabricating, and testing aerospace hardware by combining traditional aerospace design with proven commercial processes and innovative engineering.

Orion had an impressive track record of high performance with many customers. As a member of Boeing's Ares I upper stage production team, Orion worked on the producibility of the Roll Control System (RoCS) and the Reaction Control System (ReCS). OPI designed, qualified, and produced the Forward Propulsion System (FPS) for Sundancer, the world’s first commercial space habitat. The Sundancer’s innovative, “green” FPS operates on hydrogen and oxygen generated from water, sweat, and urine from Bigelow’s proprietary Environmental Control Life Support System (ECLSS).

For NASA’s robotic space exploration program Orion designed, built, tested and delivered a cold-gas propulsion system to help demonstrate and mature technologies required The LLTB was delivered in 14 weeks (ATP to delivery). In addition to the LLTB, OPI also supported the Lunar and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) with a preliminary propulsion system design and analysis, and hardware planning. Also, OPI supported the International Lunar Network (ILN) with propulsion system trade studies using high-performance, light-weight components.

OPI designed, built, tested and delivered a 20,000 lbf thrust mobile LO2/LC3H8 test stand for the DARPA FALCON Small Launch Vehicle Program for AirLaunch’s Quickreach Stage Two engine. In addition to the mobile test stand, OPI also delivered and installed a spray-cooled eductor (high altitude simulator) for AirLaunch’s 20k engine and designed, built, tested and delivered a 20,000 lbf vertical test stand.

As part of the t/Space – HMX Concept Exploration and Refinement (CE&R) Program OPI designed, fabricated, and tested a 100 lbf RCS thruster. This thruster was delivered with two types of igniters, acoustic and sparker and a boilerplate test article with a sea-level nozzle and flight type propellant valves were fabricated for testing. All testing was done in-house and it was designed, fabricated, and tested within 6 weeks.

 

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