Sat, Mar 12, 2011
Hydrogen-Powered Engine Designed To Power Heavy-Lift Vehicles
Into Space
A series of Hardware Acceptance Reviews on the first RS-68A
production rocket engine has been completed by Pratt & Whitney
Rocketdyne, validating the hydrogen-fueled engine is ready to power
a heavy-lift vehicle into space. "RS-68A engine 30003 has
demonstrated all the requirements for flight over a wide range of
operating conditions," said Dan Adamski, RS-68 program manager,
Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne. "We look forward to working with
our customers to ensure the RS-68A engines powering the Delta IV
Heavy launch vehicle are successful in delivering their important
payload into orbit."
Engine 30003, the first of three RS-68A production engines to
undergo a Hardware Acceptance Review, has been shipped to Decatur,
AL, for integration onto a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy
launch vehicle. RS-68A production engines 30004 and 30005 will
undergo Hardware Acceptance Reviews in March and April 2011,
respectively, after completion of their hot-fire testing at Stennis
Space Center in Mississippi. These engines will then be installed
onto the launch vehicle. The three engines are scheduled to boost
the Delta IV Heavy next year carrying a government payload into
orbit. The RS-68A Hardware Acceptance Reviews, conducted by the
customer and Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, evaluate the engine's
compliance with detailed specifications, design, manufacture,
checkout, test reliability and quality assurance, qualification and
acceptance testing to determine the engines are ready for
flight.
The RS-68A is an upgrade of the RS-68 engine, and is a
liquid-hydrogen/liquid-oxygen booster engine designed to provide
increased thrust and improved fuel efficiency for the Delta IV
family of launch vehicles. Each RS-68A will provide 705,000 pounds
of lift-off thrust, or 42,000 more pounds of thrust than a basic
RS-68 engine.
More News
Chaff Thin, narrow metallic reflectors of various lengths and frequency responses, used to reflect radar energy. These reflectors, when dropped from aircraft and allowed to drift d>[...]
“Today, XB-1 took flight in the same hallowed airspace where the Bell X-1 first broke the sound barrier in 1947. I’ve been looking forward to this flight since founding>[...]
“Teaming up with the EAA and Berlin Express for this event in Cincinnati will give warbird fans a unique opportunity to see the aircraft that helped defend freedom and gave t>[...]
Hazardous Weather Information Summary of significant meteorological information (SIGMET/WS), convective significant meteorological information (convective SIGMET/WST), urgent pilot>[...]
Aero Linx: The Nebraska Aeronautics Commission The Nebraska Aeronautics Commission was created by the 1935 Legislature to oversee the development of aviation in the state. The Comm>[...]