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RL10

The RL10 is a liquid-fuel cryogenic rocket engine built in the United States by Aerojet Rocketdyne that burns cryogenic liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants. Modern versions produce up to 110 kN (24,729 lbf) of thrust per engine in vacuum. Three RL10 versions are in production for the Centaur upper stage of the Atlas V and the DCSS of the Delta IV. Three more versions are in development for the Exploration Upper Stage of the Space Launch System and the Centaur V of the Vulcan rocket.[2]

RL10
An RL10A-4 engine in London's Science Museum
Country of originUnited States of America
First flight1962 (RL10A-1)
ManufacturerAerojet Rocketdyne
ApplicationUpper stage engine
Associated LVAtlas
Saturn I
Titan IIIE
Titan IV
Delta III
Delta IV
DC-X
Space Shuttle (canceled)
Space Launch System
OmegA (canceled)
Vulcan (future)
StatusIn production
Liquid-fuel engine
PropellantLiquid oxygen / liquid hydrogen
Mixture ratio5.88:1
CycleExpander cycle
Configuration
Nozzle ratio84:1 or 280:1
Performance
Thrust, vacuum110.1 kN (24,800 lbf)
Specific impulse, vacuum465.5 seconds (4.565 km/s)
Burn time700 seconds
Dimensions
Length4.15 m (13.6 ft) w/ nozzle extended
Diameter2.15 m (7 ft 1 in)
Dry weight301 kg (664 lb)
Used in
Centaur, DCSS, S-IV
References
References[1]
NotesPerformance values and dimensions are for RL10B-2.

The expander cycle that the engine uses drives the turbopump with waste heat absorbed by the engine combustion chamber, throat, and nozzle. This, combined with the hydrogen fuel, leads to very high specific impulses (Isp) in the range of 373 to 470 s (3.66–4.61 km/s) in a vacuum. Mass ranges from 131 to 317 kg (289–699 lb) depending on the version of the engine.[3][4]

History

The RL10 was the first liquid hydrogen rocket engine to be built in the United States, with development of the engine by Marshall Space Flight Center and Pratt & Whitney beginning in the 1950s. The RL10 was originally developed as a throttleable engine for the USAF Lunex lunar lander, finally putting this capability to use twenty years later in the DC-X VTOL vehicle.[5]

The RL10 was first tested on the ground in 1959, at Pratt & Whitney's Florida Research and Development Center in West Palm Beach, Florida.[6][7] The first successful flight took place on November 27, 1963.[8][9] For that launch, two RL10A-3 engines powered the Centaur upper stage of an Atlas launch vehicle. The launch was used to conduct a heavily instrumented performance and structural integrity test of the vehicle.[10]

Multiple versions of this engine have been flown. The S-IV of the Saturn I used a cluster of six RL10A-3S, a version which was modified for installation on the Saturn[11] and the Titan program included Centaur D-1T upper stages powered by two RL10A-3-3 Engines.[11][12]

Four modified RL10A-5 engines were used in the McDonnell Douglas DC-X.[13]

A flaw in the brazing of an RL10B-2 combustion chamber was identified as the cause of failure for the 4 May 1999 Delta III launch carrying the Orion-3 communications satellite.[14]

The DIRECT version 3.0 proposal to replace Ares I and Ares V with a family of rockets sharing a common core stage recommended the RL10 for the second stage of the J-246 and J-247 launch vehicles.[15] Up to seven RL10 engines would have been used in the proposed Jupiter Upper Stage, serving an equivalent role to the Space Launch System Exploration Upper Stage.

Common Extensible Cryogenic Engine

 
The CECE at partial throttle

In the early 2000s, NASA contracted with Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne to develop the Common Extensible Cryogenic Engine (CECE) demonstrator. CECE was intended to lead to RL10 engines capable of deep throttling.[16] In 2007, its operability (with some "chugging") was demonstrated at 11:1 throttle ratios.[17] In 2009, NASA reported successfully throttling from 104 percent thrust to eight percent thrust, a record for an expander cycle engine of this type. Chugging was eliminated by injector and propellant feed system modifications that control the pressure, temperature and flow of propellants.[18] In 2010, the throttling range was expanded further to a 17.6:1 ratio, throttling from 104% to 5.9% power.[19]

Early 2010s possible successor

In 2012 NASA joined with the US Air Force (USAF) to study next-generation upper stage propulsion, formalizing the agencies' joint interests in a new upper stage engine to replace the Aerojet Rocketdyne RL10.

"We know the list price on an RL10. If you look at cost over time, a very large portion of the unit cost of the EELVs is attributable to the propulsion systems, and the RL10 is a very old engine, and there's a lot of craftwork associated with its manufacture. ... That's what this study will figure out, is it worthwhile to build an RL10 replacement?"

— Dale Thomas, Associated Director Technical, Marshall Space Flight Center[20]

From the study, NASA hoped to find a less expensive RL10-class engine for the upper stage of the Space Launch System (SLS).[20][21]

USAF hoped to replace the Rocketdyne RL10 engines used on the upper stages of the Lockheed Martin Atlas V and the Boeing Delta IV Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicles (EELV) that were the primary methods of putting US government satellites into space.[20] A related requirements study was conducted at the same time under the Affordable Upper Stage Engine Program (AUSEP).[21]

Improvements

The RL10 has evolved over the years. The RL10B-2 that was used on the DCSS had improved performance, an extendable carbon-carbon nozzle, electro-mechanical gimbaling for reduced weight and increased reliability, and a specific impulse of 465.5 seconds (4.565 km/s).[22][23]

As of 2016, Aerojet Rocketdyne was working toward incorporating additive manufacturing into the RL10 construction process. The company conducted full-scale, hot-fire tests on an engine with a printed main injector in March 2016,[24] and on an engine with a printed thrust chamber assembly in April 2017.[25]

Current applications for the RL10

  • Atlas V Centaur (rocket stage): The single engine centaur (SEC) version uses the RL10C-1,[2] while the dual engine centaur (DEC) version retains the smaller RL10A-4-2.[26] An Atlas V mission (SBIRS-5) marked the first use of the RL10C-1-1 version. The mission was successful but observed unexpected vibration, and further use of the RL10C-1-1 model is on hold until the problem is better understood.[27] The engine was used again successfully on SBIRS-6.
  • Delta Cryogenic Second Stage: The current DCSS has an RL10C-2-1 with an extensible nozzle.[2][28][29]
  • Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage : The Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage or ICPS is used for the SLS and is similar to the DCSS, except that the engine is an RL10B-2 and it is adapted to fit on top of the 8.4 meter diameter core stage with four RS-25 Space Shuttle Main Engines.

Engines in development

  • Exploration Upper Stage (EUS): EUS will initially use four RL10C-3 engines. When RL10C-X becomes available, the C-3 engines will be swapped out for C-X.[30]
  • OmegA Upper Stage: In April 2018, Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems announced that two RL10C-5-1 engines would be used on OmegA in the upper stage.[31] Blue Origin's BE-3U and Airbus Safran's Vinci were also considered before Aerojet Rocketdyne's engine was selected. OmegA development was halted after it failed to win a National Security Space Launch contract.[32]
  • Centaur V: On May 11, 2018, United Launch Alliance (ULA) announced that the RL10 upper stage engine had been selected for ULA's next-generation Vulcan Centaur rocket following a competitive procurement process.[33] Centaur V will normally use the RL10C-1-1,[2] but on Vulcan Centaur Heavy the RL10C-X will be used.[34]

Advanced Cryogenic Evolved Stage

As of 2009, an enhanced version of the RL10 was proposed to power the Advanced Cryogenic Evolved Stage (ACES), a long-duration, low-boiloff extension of existing ULA Centaur and Delta Cryogenic Second Stage (DCSS) technology for the Vulcan launch vehicle.[35] Long-duration ACES technology is intended to support geosynchronous, cislunar, and interplanetary missions. Another possible application is as in-space propellant depots in LEO or at L2 that could be used as way-stations for other rockets to stop and refuel on the way to beyond-LEO or interplanetary missions. Cleanup of space debris was also proposed.[36]

Table of versions

Version Status First flight Dry mass Thrust Isp (ve), vac. Length Diameter T:W O:F Expansion ratio Chamber pressure Burn time Associated stage Notes
RL10A-1 Retired 1962 131 kg (289 lb) 67 kN (15,000 lbf) 425 s (4.17 km/s) 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) 1.53 m (5 ft 0 in) 52:1 5:1 40:1 20.7 bar (2,070 kPa) 430 s Centaur A Prototype
[11][26][37][38]
RL10A-3C Retired 1963 131 kg (289 lb) 65.6 kN (14,700 lbf) 444 s (4.35 km/s) 2.49 m (8 ft 2 in) 1.53 m (5 ft 0 in) 51:1 5:1 57:1 32.75 bar (3,275 kPa) 470 s Centaur B/C/D/E [39]
RL10A-3S Retired 1964 134 kg (296 lb) 67 kN (15,000 lbf) 427 s (4.19 km/s) 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) 51:1 5:1 40:1 20.7 bar (2,070 kPa) Saturn I S-IV Stage [11][8]
RL10A-4 Retired 1992 168 kg (370 lb) 92.5 kN (20,800 lbf) 449 s (4.40 km/s) 2.29 m (7 ft 6 in) 1.17 m (3 ft 10 in) 56:1 5.5:1 84:1 39.8 bar (3,980 kPa) 392 s Centaur IIA [11][40]
RL10A-5 Retired 1993 143 kg (315 lb) 64.7 kN (14,500 lbf) 373 s (3.66 km/s) 1.07 m (3 ft 6 in) 1.02 m (3 ft 4 in) 46:1 6:1 4:1 39.8 bar (3,980 kPa) 127 s DC-X [11][41]
RL10B-2 Active 1998 277 kg (611 lb) 110.1 kN (24,800 lbf) 465.5 s (4.565 km/s) 4.15 m (13.6 ft) 2.15 m (7 ft 1 in) 40:1 5.88:1 280:1 44.12 bar (4,412 kPa) 5-m: 1,125 s
4-m: 700 s
Delta Cryogenic Second Stage,
Interim Cyrogenic Propulsion Stage
[1][42]
RL10A-4-1 Retired 2000 167 kg (368 lb) 99.1 kN (22,300 lbf) 451 s (4.42 km/s) 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) 1.53 m (5 ft 0 in) 61:1 84:1 42 bar (4,200 kPa) 740 s Centaur IIIA [11][43]
RL10A-4-2 Active 2002 168 kg (370 lb) 99.1 kN (22,300 lbf) 451 s (4.42 km/s) 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) 1.17 m (3 ft 10 in) 61:1 84:1 42 bar (4,200 kPa) 740 s Centaur IIIB
Centaur SEC
Centaur DEC
[11][44][45]
RL10B-X Cancelled 317 kg (699 lb) 93.4 kN (21,000 lbf) 470 s (4.6 km/s) 1.53 m (5 ft 0 in) 30:1 250:1 408 s Centaur B-X [46]
CECE Demonstrator project 160 kg (350 lb) 67 kN (15,000 lbf), throttle to 5–10% >445 s (4.36 km/s) 1.53 m (5 ft 0 in) 43:1 [47][48]
RL10C-1 Active 2014 190 kg (420 lb) 101.8 kN (22,890 lbf) 449.7 s (4.410 km/s) 2.12 m (6 ft 11 in) 1.45 m (4 ft 9 in) 57:1 5.88:1 130:1 Centaur SEC
Centaur DEC
[49][50][51][45]
RL10C-1-1 Active 2021 188 kg (415 lb) 106 kN (23,825 lbF) 453.8 s 2.46 m (8 ft 0.7 in) 1.57 m (4 ft 9 in) 57:1 5.5:1 155:1 Centaur V [11][2]
RL10C-2-1 Active 301 kg (664 lb) 109.9 kN (24,750 lbF) 465.5 s 4.15 m (13 ft 8 in) 2.15 m (7 ft 1 in) 37:1 5.88:1 280:1 Delta Cryogenic Second Stage [52]
RL10C-3 In development 2026 230 kg (508 lb) 108 kN (24,340 lbF) 460.1 s 3.15 m (10 ft 4.3 in) 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) 48:1 5.7:1 215:1 Exploration Upper Stage [11][2]
RL10C-5-1 Cancelled (2020) 188 kg (415 lb) 106 kN (23,825 lbF) 453.8 s 2.46 m (8 ft 0.7 in) 1.57 m (4 ft 9 in) 57:1 5.5:1 OmegA [2][32]
RL10C-X In development 231kg (510 lb) 107.29 kN (24,120 lbF) 460.9 s 3.31 m (130.4 in) 1.87 m (73.7 in) 47.29:1 5.5:1 Vulcan Centaur 3D Printed [53][54]

Partial specifications

 
RL10A information and overview
 
RL10 engine undergoing testing at NASA

All versions

RL10A

  • Thrust (altitude): 15,000 lbf (66.7 kN)[37]
  • Specific impulse: 433 seconds (4.25 km/s)
  • Engine weight, dry: 298 lb (135 kg)
  • Height: 68 in (1.73 m)
  • Diameter: 39 in (0.99 m)
  • Nozzle expansion ratio: 40 to 1
  • Propellant flow: 35 lb/s (16 kg/s)
  • Vehicle application: Saturn I, S-IV 2nd stage, 6 engines
  • Vehicle application: Centaur upper stage, 2 engines

RL10B-2

 
Second stage of a Delta IV Medium rocket featuring an RL10B-2 engine
  • Thrust (altitude): 24,750 lbf (110.1 kN)[23]
  • Specific impulse: 465.5 seconds (4.565 km/s)[23]
  • Engine weight, dry: 664 lb (301.2 kg)[23]
  • Height: 163.5 in (4.14 m)[23]
  • Diameter: 84.5 in (2.21 m)[23]
  • Expansion ratio: 280 to 1
  • Mixture ratio: 5.88 to 1 oxygen:hydrogen mass ratio[23]
  • Propellant flow: fuel, 7.72 lb/s (3.5 kg/s); oxidizer 45.42 lb/s (20.6 kg/s)[23]
  • Vehicle application: Delta III, Delta IV second stage (1 engine)

Engines on display

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Wade, Mark (November 17, 2011). . Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on February 4, 2012. Retrieved February 27, 2012.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g (PDF). Aerojet Rocketdyne. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 30, 2022.
  3. ^ . www.astronautix.com. Archived from the original on December 28, 2016. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  4. ^ . www.astronautix.com. Archived from the original on December 28, 2016. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  5. ^ Wade, Mark. . Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on August 31, 2006.
  6. ^ Connors, p 319
  7. ^ "Centaur". Gunter's Space Pages.
  8. ^ a b Sutton, George (2005). History of liquid propellant rocket engines. American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. ISBN 1-56347-649-5.
  9. ^ . Pratt & Whitney. November 24, 2003. Archived from the original on June 14, 2011.
  10. ^ "Atlas Centaur 2". National Space Science Data Center. NASA.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Brügge, Norbert. "Evolution of Pratt & Whitney's cryogenic rocket engine RL-10". Retrieved September 16, 2022.
  12. ^ "Titan 3E/Centaur D-1T Systems Summary REPORT NO. CASD·LVP73-007" (PDF). Convair & Martin Marietta Aerospace. September 1, 1973. p. 2-4. Retrieved September 16, 2022.
  13. ^ Wade, Mark. . Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on December 28, 2012. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
  14. ^ (PDF). Boeing. August 16, 2000. MDC 99H0047A. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 16, 2001.
  15. ^ "Jupiter Launch Vehicle – Technical Performance Summaries". Archived from the original on June 8, 2009. Retrieved July 18, 2009.
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  18. ^ "NASA Tests Engine Technology for Landing Astronauts on the Moon". NASA. January 14, 2009.
  19. ^ Giuliano, Victor (July 25, 2010). "CECE: Expanding the Envelope of Deep Throttling Technology in Liquid Oxygen/Liquid Hydrogen Rocket Engines for NASA Exploration Missions" (PDF). NASA Technical Reports Server.
  20. ^ a b c Roseberg, Zach (April 12, 2012). "NASA, US Air Force to study joint rocket engine". Flight Global. Retrieved June 1, 2012.
  21. ^ a b Newton, Kimberly (April 12, 2012). "NASA Partners With U.S. Air Force to Study Common Rocket Propulsion Challenges". NASA.
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  27. ^ "ULA delays further use of enhanced upper-stage engine pending studies".
  28. ^ "ULA Vulcan Launch Vehicle (as announced/built) – General Discussion Thread 3". forum.nasaspaceflight.com. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  29. ^ "Delta IV Data Sheet". www.spacelaunchreport.com. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
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  34. ^ "Vulcan Cutaway Poster" (PDF). United Launch Alliance. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  35. ^ Kutter, Bernard F.; Zegler, Frank; Barr, Jon; Bulk, Tim; Pitchford, Brian (2009). "Robust Lunar Exploration Using an Efficient Lunar Lander Derived from Existing Upper Stages" (PDF). AIAA.
  36. ^ Zegler, Frank; Bernard Kutter (September 2, 2010). (PDF). AIAA SPACE 2010 Conference & Exposition. AIAA. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 20, 2011. Retrieved January 25, 2011. ACES design conceptualization has been underway at ULA for many years. It leverages design features of both the Centaur and Delta Cryogenic Second Stage (DCSS) upper stages and intends to supplement and perhaps replace these stages in the future. ...
  37. ^ a b Bilstein, Roger E. (1996). "Unconventional Cryogenics: RL-10 and J-2". Stages to Saturn; A Technological History of the Apollo/Saturn Launch Vehicles. Washington, D.C.: NASA History Office. Retrieved December 2, 2011.
  38. ^ "Atlas Centaur". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved February 29, 2012.
  39. ^ Wade, Mark (November 17, 2011). . Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on December 6, 2011. Retrieved February 27, 2012.
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Bibliography

External links

  • Spaceflight Now article
  • Spaceflight Now article

rl10, this, article, needs, updated, reason, given, info, improvement, projects, dated, please, help, update, this, article, reflect, recent, events, newly, available, information, june, 2020, liquid, fuel, cryogenic, rocket, engine, built, united, states, aer. This article needs to be updated The reason given is Info on improvement projects is dated Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information June 2020 The RL10 is a liquid fuel cryogenic rocket engine built in the United States by Aerojet Rocketdyne that burns cryogenic liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants Modern versions produce up to 110 kN 24 729 lbf of thrust per engine in vacuum Three RL10 versions are in production for the Centaur upper stage of the Atlas V and the DCSS of the Delta IV Three more versions are in development for the Exploration Upper Stage of the Space Launch System and the Centaur V of the Vulcan rocket 2 RL10An RL10A 4 engine in London s Science MuseumCountry of originUnited States of AmericaFirst flight1962 RL10A 1 ManufacturerAerojet RocketdyneApplicationUpper stage engineAssociated LVAtlasSaturn ITitan IIIETitan IVDelta IIIDelta IVDC XSpace Shuttle canceled Space Launch SystemOmegA canceled Vulcan future StatusIn productionLiquid fuel enginePropellantLiquid oxygen liquid hydrogenMixture ratio5 88 1CycleExpander cycleConfigurationNozzle ratio84 1 or 280 1PerformanceThrust vacuum110 1 kN 24 800 lbf Specific impulse vacuum465 5 seconds 4 565 km s Burn time700 secondsDimensionsLength4 15 m 13 6 ft w nozzle extendedDiameter2 15 m 7 ft 1 in Dry weight301 kg 664 lb Used inCentaur DCSS S IVReferencesReferences 1 NotesPerformance values and dimensions are for RL10B 2 The expander cycle that the engine uses drives the turbopump with waste heat absorbed by the engine combustion chamber throat and nozzle This combined with the hydrogen fuel leads to very high specific impulses Isp in the range of 373 to 470 s 3 66 4 61 km s in a vacuum Mass ranges from 131 to 317 kg 289 699 lb depending on the version of the engine 3 4 Contents 1 History 1 1 Common Extensible Cryogenic Engine 1 2 Early 2010s possible successor 1 3 Improvements 2 Current applications for the RL10 3 Engines in development 3 1 Advanced Cryogenic Evolved Stage 4 Table of versions 5 Partial specifications 5 1 All versions 5 2 RL10A 5 3 RL10B 2 6 Engines on display 7 See also 8 References 9 Bibliography 10 External linksHistory EditThe RL10 was the first liquid hydrogen rocket engine to be built in the United States with development of the engine by Marshall Space Flight Center and Pratt amp Whitney beginning in the 1950s The RL10 was originally developed as a throttleable engine for the USAF Lunex lunar lander finally putting this capability to use twenty years later in the DC X VTOL vehicle 5 The RL10 was first tested on the ground in 1959 at Pratt amp Whitney s Florida Research and Development Center in West Palm Beach Florida 6 7 The first successful flight took place on November 27 1963 8 9 For that launch two RL10A 3 engines powered the Centaur upper stage of an Atlas launch vehicle The launch was used to conduct a heavily instrumented performance and structural integrity test of the vehicle 10 Multiple versions of this engine have been flown The S IV of the Saturn I used a cluster of six RL10A 3S a version which was modified for installation on the Saturn 11 and the Titan program included Centaur D 1T upper stages powered by two RL10A 3 3 Engines 11 12 Four modified RL10A 5 engines were used in the McDonnell Douglas DC X 13 A flaw in the brazing of an RL10B 2 combustion chamber was identified as the cause of failure for the 4 May 1999 Delta III launch carrying the Orion 3 communications satellite 14 The DIRECT version 3 0 proposal to replace Ares I and Ares V with a family of rockets sharing a common core stage recommended the RL10 for the second stage of the J 246 and J 247 launch vehicles 15 Up to seven RL10 engines would have been used in the proposed Jupiter Upper Stage serving an equivalent role to the Space Launch System Exploration Upper Stage Common Extensible Cryogenic Engine Edit The CECE at partial throttle In the early 2000s NASA contracted with Pratt amp Whitney Rocketdyne to develop the Common Extensible Cryogenic Engine CECE demonstrator CECE was intended to lead to RL10 engines capable of deep throttling 16 In 2007 its operability with some chugging was demonstrated at 11 1 throttle ratios 17 In 2009 NASA reported successfully throttling from 104 percent thrust to eight percent thrust a record for an expander cycle engine of this type Chugging was eliminated by injector and propellant feed system modifications that control the pressure temperature and flow of propellants 18 In 2010 the throttling range was expanded further to a 17 6 1 ratio throttling from 104 to 5 9 power 19 Early 2010s possible successor Edit In 2012 NASA joined with the US Air Force USAF to study next generation upper stage propulsion formalizing the agencies joint interests in a new upper stage engine to replace the Aerojet Rocketdyne RL10 We know the list price on an RL10 If you look at cost over time a very large portion of the unit cost of the EELVs is attributable to the propulsion systems and the RL10 is a very old engine and there s a lot of craftwork associated with its manufacture That s what this study will figure out is it worthwhile to build an RL10 replacement Dale Thomas Associated Director Technical Marshall Space Flight Center 20 From the study NASA hoped to find a less expensive RL10 class engine for the upper stage of the Space Launch System SLS 20 21 USAF hoped to replace the Rocketdyne RL10 engines used on the upper stages of the Lockheed Martin Atlas V and the Boeing Delta IV Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicles EELV that were the primary methods of putting US government satellites into space 20 A related requirements study was conducted at the same time under the Affordable Upper Stage Engine Program AUSEP 21 Improvements Edit The RL10 has evolved over the years The RL10B 2 that was used on the DCSS had improved performance an extendable carbon carbon nozzle electro mechanical gimbaling for reduced weight and increased reliability and a specific impulse of 465 5 seconds 4 565 km s 22 23 As of 2016 Aerojet Rocketdyne was working toward incorporating additive manufacturing into the RL10 construction process The company conducted full scale hot fire tests on an engine with a printed main injector in March 2016 24 and on an engine with a printed thrust chamber assembly in April 2017 25 Current applications for the RL10 EditAtlas V Centaur rocket stage The single engine centaur SEC version uses the RL10C 1 2 while the dual engine centaur DEC version retains the smaller RL10A 4 2 26 An Atlas V mission SBIRS 5 marked the first use of the RL10C 1 1 version The mission was successful but observed unexpected vibration and further use of the RL10C 1 1 model is on hold until the problem is better understood 27 The engine was used again successfully on SBIRS 6 Delta Cryogenic Second Stage The current DCSS has an RL10C 2 1 with an extensible nozzle 2 28 29 Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage The Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage or ICPS is used for the SLS and is similar to the DCSS except that the engine is an RL10B 2 and it is adapted to fit on top of the 8 4 meter diameter core stage with four RS 25 Space Shuttle Main Engines Engines in development EditExploration Upper Stage EUS EUS will initially use four RL10C 3 engines When RL10C X becomes available the C 3 engines will be swapped out for C X 30 OmegA Upper Stage In April 2018 Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems announced that two RL10C 5 1 engines would be used on OmegA in the upper stage 31 Blue Origin s BE 3U and Airbus Safran s Vinci were also considered before Aerojet Rocketdyne s engine was selected OmegA development was halted after it failed to win a National Security Space Launch contract 32 Centaur V On May 11 2018 United Launch Alliance ULA announced that the RL10 upper stage engine had been selected for ULA s next generation Vulcan Centaur rocket following a competitive procurement process 33 Centaur V will normally use the RL10C 1 1 2 but on Vulcan Centaur Heavy the RL10C X will be used 34 Advanced Cryogenic Evolved Stage Edit Main article Advanced Cryogenic Evolved Stage As of 2009 update an enhanced version of the RL10 was proposed to power the Advanced Cryogenic Evolved Stage ACES a long duration low boiloff extension of existing ULA Centaur and Delta Cryogenic Second Stage DCSS technology for the Vulcan launch vehicle 35 Long duration ACES technology is intended to support geosynchronous cislunar and interplanetary missions Another possible application is as in space propellant depots in LEO or at L2 that could be used as way stations for other rockets to stop and refuel on the way to beyond LEO or interplanetary missions Cleanup of space debris was also proposed 36 Table of versions EditVersion Status First flight Dry mass Thrust Isp ve vac Length Diameter T W O F Expansion ratio Chamber pressure Burn time Associated stage NotesRL10A 1 Retired 1962 131 kg 289 lb 67 kN 15 000 lbf 425 s 4 17 km s 1 73 m 5 ft 8 in 1 53 m 5 ft 0 in 52 1 5 1 40 1 20 7 bar 2 070 kPa 430 s Centaur A Prototype 11 26 37 38 RL10A 3C Retired 1963 131 kg 289 lb 65 6 kN 14 700 lbf 444 s 4 35 km s 2 49 m 8 ft 2 in 1 53 m 5 ft 0 in 51 1 5 1 57 1 32 75 bar 3 275 kPa 470 s Centaur B C D E 39 RL10A 3S Retired 1964 134 kg 296 lb 67 kN 15 000 lbf 427 s 4 19 km s 1 73 m 5 ft 8 in 51 1 5 1 40 1 20 7 bar 2 070 kPa Saturn I S IV Stage 11 8 RL10A 4 Retired 1992 168 kg 370 lb 92 5 kN 20 800 lbf 449 s 4 40 km s 2 29 m 7 ft 6 in 1 17 m 3 ft 10 in 56 1 5 5 1 84 1 39 8 bar 3 980 kPa 392 s Centaur IIA 11 40 RL10A 5 Retired 1993 143 kg 315 lb 64 7 kN 14 500 lbf 373 s 3 66 km s 1 07 m 3 ft 6 in 1 02 m 3 ft 4 in 46 1 6 1 4 1 39 8 bar 3 980 kPa 127 s DC X 11 41 RL10B 2 Active 1998 277 kg 611 lb 110 1 kN 24 800 lbf 465 5 s 4 565 km s 4 15 m 13 6 ft 2 15 m 7 ft 1 in 40 1 5 88 1 280 1 44 12 bar 4 412 kPa 5 m 1 125 s4 m 700 s Delta Cryogenic Second Stage Interim Cyrogenic Propulsion Stage 1 42 RL10A 4 1 Retired 2000 167 kg 368 lb 99 1 kN 22 300 lbf 451 s 4 42 km s 1 78 m 5 ft 10 in 1 53 m 5 ft 0 in 61 1 84 1 42 bar 4 200 kPa 740 s Centaur IIIA 11 43 RL10A 4 2 Active 2002 168 kg 370 lb 99 1 kN 22 300 lbf 451 s 4 42 km s 1 78 m 5 ft 10 in 1 17 m 3 ft 10 in 61 1 84 1 42 bar 4 200 kPa 740 s Centaur IIIBCentaur SECCentaur DEC 11 44 45 RL10B X Cancelled 317 kg 699 lb 93 4 kN 21 000 lbf 470 s 4 6 km s 1 53 m 5 ft 0 in 30 1 250 1 408 s Centaur B X 46 CECE Demonstrator project 160 kg 350 lb 67 kN 15 000 lbf throttle to 5 10 gt 445 s 4 36 km s 1 53 m 5 ft 0 in 43 1 47 48 RL10C 1 Active 2014 190 kg 420 lb 101 8 kN 22 890 lbf 449 7 s 4 410 km s 2 12 m 6 ft 11 in 1 45 m 4 ft 9 in 57 1 5 88 1 130 1 Centaur SECCentaur DEC 49 50 51 45 RL10C 1 1 Active 2021 188 kg 415 lb 106 kN 23 825 lbF 453 8 s 2 46 m 8 ft 0 7 in 1 57 m 4 ft 9 in 57 1 5 5 1 155 1 Centaur V 11 2 RL10C 2 1 Active 301 kg 664 lb 109 9 kN 24 750 lbF 465 5 s 4 15 m 13 ft 8 in 2 15 m 7 ft 1 in 37 1 5 88 1 280 1 Delta Cryogenic Second Stage 52 RL10C 3 In development 2026 230 kg 508 lb 108 kN 24 340 lbF 460 1 s 3 15 m 10 ft 4 3 in 1 85 m 6 ft 1 in 48 1 5 7 1 215 1 Exploration Upper Stage 11 2 RL10C 5 1 Cancelled 2020 188 kg 415 lb 106 kN 23 825 lbF 453 8 s 2 46 m 8 ft 0 7 in 1 57 m 4 ft 9 in 57 1 5 5 1 OmegA 2 32 RL10C X In development 231kg 510 lb 107 29 kN 24 120 lbF 460 9 s 3 31 m 130 4 in 1 87 m 73 7 in 47 29 1 5 5 1 Vulcan Centaur 3D Printed 53 54 Partial specifications Edit RL10A information and overview RL10 engine undergoing testing at NASA All versions Edit Contractor Pratt amp Whitney Propellants liquid oxygen liquid hydrogen 23 Design expander cycle 55 RL10A Edit Thrust altitude 15 000 lbf 66 7 kN 37 Specific impulse 433 seconds 4 25 km s Engine weight dry 298 lb 135 kg Height 68 in 1 73 m Diameter 39 in 0 99 m Nozzle expansion ratio 40 to 1 Propellant flow 35 lb s 16 kg s Vehicle application Saturn I S IV 2nd stage 6 engines Vehicle application Centaur upper stage 2 enginesRL10B 2 Edit Second stage of a Delta IV Medium rocket featuring an RL10B 2 engine Thrust altitude 24 750 lbf 110 1 kN 23 Specific impulse 465 5 seconds 4 565 km s 23 Engine weight dry 664 lb 301 2 kg 23 Height 163 5 in 4 14 m 23 Diameter 84 5 in 2 21 m 23 Expansion ratio 280 to 1 Mixture ratio 5 88 to 1 oxygen hydrogen mass ratio 23 Propellant flow fuel 7 72 lb s 3 5 kg s oxidizer 45 42 lb s 20 6 kg s 23 Vehicle application Delta III Delta IV second stage 1 engine Engines on display EditAn RL10A 1 is on display at the New England Air Museum Windsor Locks Connecticut 56 An RL10 is on display at the Museum of Science and Industry Chicago Illinois 57 An RL10 is on display at the U S Space amp Rocket Center Huntsville Alabama 57 An RL10 is on display at Southern University Baton Rouge Louisiana 58 Two RL10 engines are on display at US Space Walk of Fame Titusville Florida 59 An RL10 is on display at the Cox Science Center and Aquarium West Palm Beach Florida An RL10 is on display in the Aerospace Engineering Department Davis Hall at Auburn University citation needed An RL10A 4 is on display at the Science Museum in London UK An RL10 is on display at the Museum of Life and Science in Durham NC An RL10 is on display at the San Diego Air amp Space Museum in San Diego CA See also EditSpacecraft propulsion RL60 MARC 60 RD 0146 XCOR ULA aluminum alloy nozzle engine under development in 2011References Edit a b Wade Mark November 17 2011 RL 10B 2 Encyclopedia Astronautica Archived from the original on February 4 2012 Retrieved February 27 2012 a b c d e f g Aerojet Rocketdyne RL10 Propulsion System PDF Aerojet Rocketdyne Archived from the original PDF on January 30 2022 RL 10C www astronautix com Archived from the original on December 28 2016 Retrieved April 6 2020 RL 10A 1 www astronautix com Archived from the original on December 28 2016 Retrieved April 6 2020 Wade Mark Encyclopedia Astronautica Lunex Project page Encyclopedia Astronautica Archived from the original on August 31 2006 Connors p 319 Centaur Gunter s Space Pages a b Sutton George 2005 History of liquid propellant rocket engines American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics ISBN 1 56347 649 5 Renowned Rocket Engine Celebrates 40 Years of Flight Pratt amp Whitney November 24 2003 Archived from the original on June 14 2011 Atlas Centaur 2 National Space Science Data Center NASA a b c d e f g h i j Brugge Norbert Evolution of Pratt amp Whitney s cryogenic rocket engine RL 10 Retrieved September 16 2022 Titan 3E Centaur D 1T Systems Summary REPORT NO CASD LVP73 007 PDF Convair amp Martin Marietta Aerospace September 1 1973 p 2 4 Retrieved September 16 2022 Wade Mark DCX Encyclopedia Astronautica Archived from the original on December 28 2012 Retrieved January 4 2013 Delta 269 Delta III Investigation Report PDF Boeing August 16 2000 MDC 99H0047A Archived from the original PDF on June 16 2001 Jupiter Launch Vehicle Technical Performance Summaries Archived from the original on June 8 2009 Retrieved July 18 2009 Common Extensible Cryogenic Engine CECE United Technologies Corporation Archived from the original on March 4 2012 Throttling Back to the Moon NASA July 16 2007 Archived from the original on April 2 2010 NASA Tests Engine Technology for Landing Astronauts on the Moon NASA January 14 2009 Giuliano Victor July 25 2010 CECE Expanding the Envelope of Deep Throttling Technology in Liquid Oxygen Liquid Hydrogen Rocket Engines for NASA Exploration Missions PDF NASA Technical Reports Server a b c Roseberg Zach April 12 2012 NASA US Air Force to study joint rocket engine Flight Global Retrieved June 1 2012 a b Newton Kimberly April 12 2012 NASA Partners With U S Air Force to Study Common Rocket Propulsion Challenges NASA RL 10B 2 astronautix com Retrieved September 16 2022 a b c d e f g h i RL10B 2 PDF Pratt amp Whitney Rocketdyne 2009 Archived from the original PDF on March 26 2012 Retrieved January 29 2012 Aerojet Rocketdyne Successfully Tests Complex 3 D Printed Injector in World s Most Reliable Upper Stage Rocket Engine Press release Aerojet Rocketdyne March 7 2016 Retrieved April 20 2017 Aerojet Rocketdyne Achieves 3 D Printing Milestone with Successful Testing of Full Scale RL10 Copper Thrust Chamber Assembly Press release Aerojet Rocketdyne April 3 2017 Retrieved April 11 2017 a b Wade Mark November 17 2011 RL 10A 1 Encyclopedia Astronautica Archived from the original on November 15 2011 Retrieved February 27 2012 ULA delays further use of enhanced upper stage engine pending studies ULA Vulcan Launch Vehicle as announced built General Discussion Thread 3 forum nasaspaceflight com Retrieved June 6 2020 Delta IV Data Sheet www spacelaunchreport com Retrieved June 6 2020 Sloss Philip March 4 2021 NASA Boeing looking to begin SLS Exploration Upper Stage manufacturing in 2021 NASASpaceflight Retrieved October 15 2021 RL 10 Selected for OmegA Rocket Aerojet Rocketdyne April 16 2018 Retrieved May 14 2018 a b Northrop Grumman to terminate OmegA rocket program SpaceNews September 9 2020 Retrieved November 23 2020 United Launch Alliance Selects Aerojet Rocketdyne s RL10 Engine ULA May 11 2018 Retrieved May 13 2018 Vulcan Cutaway Poster PDF United Launch Alliance Retrieved October 15 2021 Kutter Bernard F Zegler Frank Barr Jon Bulk Tim Pitchford Brian 2009 Robust Lunar Exploration Using an Efficient Lunar Lander Derived from Existing Upper Stages PDF AIAA Zegler Frank Bernard Kutter September 2 2010 Evolving to a Depot Based Space Transportation Architecture PDF AIAA SPACE 2010 Conference amp Exposition AIAA Archived from the original PDF on October 20 2011 Retrieved January 25 2011 ACES design conceptualization has been underway at ULA for many years It leverages design features of both the Centaur and Delta Cryogenic Second Stage DCSS upper stages and intends to supplement and perhaps replace these stages in the future a b Bilstein Roger E 1996 Unconventional Cryogenics RL 10 and J 2 Stages to Saturn A Technological History of the Apollo Saturn Launch Vehicles Washington D C NASA History Office Retrieved December 2 2011 Atlas Centaur Gunter s Space Page Retrieved February 29 2012 Wade Mark November 17 2011 RL 10A 3 Encyclopedia Astronautica Archived from the original on December 6 2011 Retrieved February 27 2012 Wade Mark November 17 2011 RL 10A 4 Encyclopedia Astronautica Archived from the original on November 15 2011 Retrieved February 27 2012 Wade Mark November 17 2011 RL 10A 5 Encyclopedia Astronautica Archived from the original on November 15 2011 Retrieved February 27 2012 Delta IV Launch Services User s Guide June 2013 PDF ULA Launch Retrieved March 15 2018 Wade Mark November 17 2011 RL 10A 4 1 Encyclopedia Astronautica Archived from the original on November 17 2011 Retrieved February 27 2012 Wade Mark November 17 2011 RL 10A 4 2 Encyclopedia Astronautica Archived from the original on January 30 2012 Retrieved February 27 2012 a b RL10 Engine Aerojet Rocketdyne Wade Mark November 17 2011 RL 10B X Encyclopedia Astronautica Archived from the original on November 15 2011 Retrieved February 27 2012 Commons Extensible Cryogenic Engine Pratt amp Whitney Rocketdyne Archived from the original on March 4 2012 Retrieved February 28 2012 Common Extensible Cryogenic Engine Aerojet Rocketdyne www rocket com Retrieved April 8 2018 Cryogenic Propulsion Stage PDF NASA Retrieved October 11 2014 Atlas V with RL10C powered Centaur forum nasaspaceflight com Retrieved April 8 2018 Evolution of Pratt amp Whitney s cryogenic rocket engine RL 10 Archived from the original on March 3 2016 Retrieved February 20 2016 RL10 Engine Aerojet Rocketdyne www rocket com Retrieved June 19 2020 Aerojet Rocketdyne Secures Its Largest RL10 Engine Contract From ULA www aerojetrocketdyne com Retrieved April 16 2022 RL10 Engine Aerojet Rocketdyne Rocket com Retrieved May 7 2022 Sutton A M Peery S D Minick A B January 1998 50K expander cycle engine demonstration PDF AIP Conference Proceedings 420 1062 1065 doi 10 1063 1 54719 Archived from the original on April 8 2013 Pratt amp Whitney RL10A 1 Rocket Engine New England Air Museum Archived from the original on April 27 2014 a b Photos of Rocket Engines Historic Spacecraft Retrieved April 26 2014 Colaguori Nancy Kidder Bryan November 3 2006 Pratt amp Whitney Rocketdyne Donates Model of Legendary Rl10 Rocket Engine to Southern University Press release Pratt amp Whitney Rocketdyne PR Newswire Archived from the original on April 27 2014 American Space Museum amp Space Walk of Fame www facebook com Archived from the original on February 26 2022 Retrieved April 8 2018 Bibliography EditConnors Jack 2010 The Engines of Pratt amp Whitney A Technical History Reston Virginia American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics ISBN 978 1 60086 711 8 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to RL10 RL10B 2 at Astronautix Spaceflight Now article Spaceflight Now article Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title RL10 amp oldid 1122180980, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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