Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne
has completed a series of successful tests on a gas generator for the J-2X rocket engine.
The J-2X engine will power the new Ares I and Ares V second-stage launch vehicles scheduled to send US astronauts to the International Space Station and back to the moon by 2020.
The gas generator for the J-2X will use the same technology currently used on the RS-68, the largest liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen rocket engine developed to power the Delta IV family of expendable launch vehicle.
Tests on this newly designed generator have helped determine the performance and stability of the J-2X configuration and have helped engineers finalise the specifications for the unit to be tested on the powerpack and development engines. This unit is the first full-scale hot-fire testing for J-2X components.
John Vilja, J-2X programme manager at Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, said: ‘We are using heritage technology with a successful track record of reliability and performance and applying modern technology to create a safer, more efficient product for our customer.
‘It’s a dynamic blend of modern science and proven technology as we move in to the next-generation of space-launch vehicles. This approach will significantly reduce the overall cost of the development programme.’
The J-2X engine uses legacy technology from the J-2 and J-2S engines in the design and development of the fuel pump and oxidiser pumps.
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Where will all the raw materials come from for the manufacturing process? How will they be transported to the factory and what is going to be done with the various scrap and residues?