TURBOCAM International is Flying to the Moon and Getting Recognition for it too

Story by Callie Patteson

On Wednesday, April 24th, several members of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Aeronautics team visited the Barrington, New Hampshire location to acknowledge the company’s vital contributions to NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS). TURBOCAM is a key supplier within the program.

NASA was accompanied by representatives from Aerojet Rocketdyne and Northrop Grumman, two prime contractors for SLS. The companies produce systems such as RS-25 engines and solid rocket boosters which launch  the massive 8.4 million pound thrust rocket into space as part of NASA’s Artemis program.

For the Artemis I launch in November 2022, TURBOCAM provided 10 unique components for each of the four RS-25 engines that were installed onboard the rocket.

Kendra Kastelan of Northrop Grumman praised TURBOCAM’s contributions saying, “This visit is our opportunity to celebrate the collective achievements of the Artemis I mission with your workforce and thank them for their dedication to the program.”

Similarly, NASA representatives commended TURBOCAM’s production efforts, with SLS Strategic Communications Manager Marcia Lindstrom telling employees that NASA “can’t do what we do without your help.”

Lindstrom also took the opportunity to praise TURBOCAM’s mission to honor God, create wealth for its employees and support Christian service to God and people. She indicated that the mission can be seen in every aspect of the company’s manufacturing process saying, “You can feel your culture when you walk through that door. You know your mission without reading it.”

For decades, TURBOCAM has been manufacturing award-winning components for these rocket engines. In 2019, NASA representatives presented an award to TURBOCAM for excellence in manufacturing of the liquid oxygen  and fuel turbopumps.

During the visit, members of NASA emphasized the importance of TURBOCAM’s continued contribution to the Artemis mission and the agency’s top priority of getting all astronauts safely home to Earth.

Dr. Lee Morin, a New Hampshire native and NASA astronaut who flew aboard STS-110 in 2002, praised TURBOCAM employees for the attention to detail and hard work that went into providing parts for the mission. “My life was in your hands,” Morin said, thanking the company for the years-long dedication to NASA’s missions.

TURBOCAM AND ROCKETRY

TURBOCAM was founded in 1985 and made its big break into the rocketry industry during the nineties. In 1997, the company started out by making a set of high pressure shrouded liquid oxygen pumps  for the RS-25 Space Shuttle Main Engines in just eight weeks time. The near-impossible task solidified TURBOCAM as a turbomachinery provider in the space industry. Just two years later, TURBOCAM pioneered the machining of shrouded liquid hydrogen turbines for the Delta IV rocket engines. The company continued to manufacture these parts for the next 20 years.

Currently, TURBOCAM has production relationships with several rocket companies, manufacturing critical parts for liquid oxygen and fuel turbo pumps. They comprise turbomachinery components such as turbine nozzles and rotors,  and open and integrally shrouded inducers and impellers.

Each year TURBOCAM manufactures around 1,000 rocketry parts, with revenue north of $10 million. This market is expected to bring continued growth in the coming years.