The RS-88 (Rocket System-88) is a liquid-fueled rocket engine designed and built in the United States by Rocketdyne (later Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne and then Aerojet Rocketdyne). Originally developed for NASA's Bantam System Technology program in 1997, the RS-88 burned ethanol fuel with liquid oxygen (LOX) as the oxidizer. It offered 220 kN (49,000 lbf) of thrust at sea level.
 An RS-88 is fired at Stennis Space Center | |
| Country of origin |  United States |
|---|---|
| Designer | Rocketdyne |
| Manufacturer |
|
| Status | Active |
| Liquid-fuel engine | |
| Propellant | LOX / Ethanol MMH / NTO (LAE variant) |
| Cycle | Gas-generator |
| Performance | |
| Thrust, sea-level | 220 kN (49,000 lbf) (ethanol) 176.6 kN (39,700 lbf) (hypergolic) |
| Used in | |
| CST-100 Starliner | |
A hypergolic derivative of the RS-88, fueled by monomethylhydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide, was chosen as the launch escape motor for the Boeing Starliner capsule.
Origins and Testing
editThe RS-88 stemmed from NASA's Bantam System Technology Project, part of the Low-Cost Technologies effort of the larger Advanced Space Transportation Program.[1] This project aimed to research and demonstrate technologies for a new, affordable launch system. While the program envisioned a technology demonstration flight in late 1999, it ultimately focused on engine development.[2]
NASA tested the RS-88 in a series of 14 hot-fire tests, resulting in 55 seconds of successful engine operation in November and December 2003.
In 2003, Lockheed Martin selected the RS-88 for their pad abort demonstration vehicle. NASA successfully tested the engine in a series of hot-fire tests, demonstrating its reliability.
Starliner Launch Escape System
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A hypergolic derivative of the RS-88, fueled by monomethylhydrazine (MMH) and nitrogen tetroxide, was chosen as the launch escape motor for the Boeing Starliner capsule.[3] This variant, called the Launch Abort Engine (LAE), provides 176.6 kN (39,700 lbf) of thrust.[4] Four LAE engines are used in Starliner's abort system to propel the capsule away from the launch vehicle in case of an emergency.[5]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "NASA Selects Four Companies to Demonstrate Low Cost Launch System Technologies" (Press release). NASA. June 9, 1997. Release C97. Archived from the original on November 20, 2011.
- ^ "Low Cost Technologies" (Press release). NASA. June 1997. Archived from the original on 2010-02-16. Retrieved 2012-06-01.
- ^ theworacle (15 March 2011). "Test of Rocketdyne abort motor for Boeing crew capsule". YouTube. Retrieved 24 November 2011.
- ^ Clark, Stephen (November 27, 2015). "Aerojet Rocketdyne wins propulsion contracts worth nearly $1.4 billion". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 2019-12-19.
- ^ "PWR Analyzing Hot-Fire Tests For CST-100 Launch Abort Engine". Beyond Earth. Mar 22, 2012. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
External links
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