RS-27
The RS-27 was a liquid-propellant rocket engine developed in 1974 by Rocketdyne to replace the aging MB-3 in the Delta. Incorporating components of the venerable MB-3 and the H-1 designs, the RS-27 was a modernized version of the basic design used for two decades. It was used to power the first stage of the Delta 2000, 3000, 5000, and the first model of the Delta II, the Delta 6000.
First stage of a Delta II rocket, including an RS-27 | |
| Country of origin | United States |
|---|---|
| Date | 1974 |
| Designer | Rocketdyne |
| Manufacturer | Rocketdyne |
| Application | Booster |
| Predecessor | H-1 |
| Successor | RS-27A, RS-56 |
| Status | Retired |
| Liquid-fuel engine | |
| Propellant | LOX / RP-1 |
| Cycle | Gas Generator |
| Configuration | |
| Chamber | 1 |
| Performance | |
| Thrust, vacuum | 1,023 kN (230,000 lbf) |
| Thrust, sea-level | 971 kN (218,000 lbf) |
| Chamber pressure | 4.9 MPa (49 bar) |
| Specific impulse, vacuum | 295 seconds (2.89 km/s) |
| Specific impulse, sea-level | 264 seconds (2.59 km/s) |
| Burn time | 274 Sec |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 3.63 m (11.9 ft) |
| Diameter | 1.07 m (3.51 ft) |
| Dry weight | 1,027 kg (2,264 lb) |
| Used in | |
| Delta 2000, 3000, 5000, 6000, first stage | |
The RS-27 was a modified Rocketdyne H-1 built to power the first stage of the Saturn I and Saturn IB and replaced the MB-3 engine that had been used on previous versions of the Delta launcher. NASA had a large supply of surplus H-1 engines in the early 1970s, as the Apollo program was ending. In addition to its main engine, the RS-27 included two vernier engines to provide vehicle roll control during flight. RS-27 was later developed into the RS-27A and RS-56.