Aerojet Wins NASA Contract for Electric Propulsion Demonstrator

http://www.aerojet.com/program/frame...&program_ID=45

Aerojet Wins NASA Contract for Electric Propulsion Demonstrator
Aeroject News Release

SACRAMENTO, Calif., June 2, 2005 -- Aerojet, a GenCorp Inc. (NYSE: GY)
company, has received a two-phase contract from NASA's Exploration
Systems Mission Directorate to design, build, test and deliver a
sub-scale electric propulsion direct drive system. The direct drive
system will validate the technology for future full-scale use on Moon
and Mars cargo transport vehicles. The two-phase, $12.3 million
contract
(including all options) was awarded by NASA's Glenn Research Center.

Aerojet's direct drive system will deliver high-voltage power directly
from space vehicle solar panels, to electric propulsion Hall thrusters.
This will eliminate costly and heavy primary power converters and
reduce
solar panel size. Aerojet projects a mass savings on full-scale Moon or
Mars solar electric propulsion cargo vehicles in excess of 1,000 kg (or
the equivalent of 2,205 lbs.), resulting in reduced propellant needs
for
launching the vehicles from Earth.

"This direct drive system, which will provide NASA with new propulsion
technology, again demonstrates Aerojet's role in supporting the
agency's
needs for creating affordable, sustainable access to the moon and
Mars,"
said Aerojet President Mike Martin.

The two-phase program will culminate with a ground system demonstration
test at Glenn that will include illuminating solar panels in a vacuum
test chamber used to drive a Hall thruster firing. At the conclusion of
the program, the hardware will be delivered to NASA for integration
into
a flight experiment mission to validate the technology in space.

Aerojet's teammates on the contract include Lockheed Martin, SAIC,
Vacco, NASA Glenn Research Center and NASA Marshall Space Flight
Center.

Aerojet is a world-recognized aerospace and defense leader principally
serving the missile and space propulsion, and defense and armaments
markets. GenCorp is a leading technology-based manufacturer of
aerospace
and defense products and systems with a real estate business segment
that includes activities related to the development, sale and leasing
of
the Company's real estate assets. Additional information about Aerojet
and GenCorp can be obtained by visiting the Companies' web sites at
http://www.Aerojet.com and http://www.GenCorp.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements based on current
management expectations. Numerous factors, including those related to
market conditions and those detailed from time to time in GenCorp's
filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, may cause results
to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking
statements. Many of the factors that will determine GenCorp's future
results are beyond the ability of GenCorp to control or predict. These
statements are subject to risks and uncertainties and, therefore,
actual
results may differ materially. Readers should not place undue reliance
on forward-looking statements, which reflect management's views only as
of the date hereof. GenCorp undertakes no obligation to revise or
update
any forward-looking statements, or to make any other forward-looking
statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or
otherwise.

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