New Mars Forums

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,431

Re: J-2S vs RLX vs RS-68r+

This covers all the engine developement that were tried on constellation which only some went forward into ares v

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,431

Re: J-2S vs RLX vs RS-68r+

Bump thanks to the spammer but is it time to start looking at the engines we have as we will it appears not have the right choices in use for mars landings and returns....

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,431

Re: J-2S vs RLX vs RS-68r+

Ah a good place to park this as the SSME returns as AR-22 for rapid reuse demonstration, fired ten times in ten days

Primarily built from hardware long in storage, the parts rebuild of the reusable engine is called the AR-22 and it is being qualified for use in the Experimental Space Plane (XSP) vehicle that is being designed and built by Boeing for the U.S. military Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

Phantom Express, a key capability targeted for the XSP is rapid reuse. The vehicle will be powered by a single AR-22 engine and the goal of the test series was to demonstrate that it could be hot-fired every 24 hours for ten consecutive days.

100-second test firing every hour for ten days equals 240 hours

Phantom Express overview

Boeing’s Phantom Works Division is the prime contractor for the Phantom Express. The glideback booster will weigh approximately 240,000 pounds when fueled. It is designed to be able to carry an expendable upper stage up to speeds between Mach 5 and Mach 10.

DARPA’s requirement is for the system to be able to deliver at least 3000 pounds to orbit. “We are targeting a little bit more capability than that — our current estimate is about 5000 pounds,”

Sort of like the pegasus system where a carrier gets the most out of speed before releasing the payload to finish its way to orbit.

SLS is using a separate derivative of the SSME called the RS-25, which is undergoing new development to build new engines more affordably for expendable use. “SLS is using Block II hardware, so they are exclusively limited to that design configuration of the engine,”  with the use of a Honey well controller that will be shared with the AR22.

The SSME went through a series of upgrades through the decades that allowed it to be certified for reuse in an expanded operating range; in contrast, the AR-22 is intended to operate at the original 1970s SSME rated power level (RPL) of 375,000 pounds thrust at sea level, 470,000 pounds thrust at vacuum, referred to as 100 percent.

Mars_B4_Moon

Member

Registered: 2006-03-23

Posts: 9,776

Re: J-2S vs RLX vs RS-68r+

Still not sure about SSTO talk but....

Aerojet Rocketdyne optimizes 3D printed quad thruster for low-cost space exploration

https://3dprintingindustry.com/news/aer … on-207426/

erojet Rocketdyne has been working on integrating 3D printing into the production process of its rocket engines, missile and tactical defense systems for more than two decades. In 2017, the firm renewed its commitment to using Sigma Labs’ PrintRite3D software, and also integrated a 3D printed preburner into its AR1 rocket engine which was later successfully hot-fire tested.

More recently, Aerojet Rocketdyne incorporated the 3D printing, CNC machining, and MIM capabilities of 3D Material Technologies into its portfolio. The firm has been using its capabilities to make critical parts for the RS-25 engine and has also received a $1.79 billion contract to create 18 of the systems for NASA’s ‘SLS project