RS-68
The Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-68 (Rocket System 68) is a liquid-fuel rocket engine that uses liquid hydrogen (LH2) and liquid oxygen (LOX) as propellants in a gas-generator power cycle. It is the largest hydrogen-fueled rocket engine ever flown.
An RS-68 engine undergoing hot-fire testing at NASA's Stennis Space Center during its developmental phase. | |
| Country of origin | United States |
|---|---|
| First flight | 2002 |
| Manufacturer | Rocketdyne Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne Aerojet Rocketdyne |
| Application | First stage engine for the Delta IV rocket |
| Status | Production ended |
| Liquid-fuel engine | |
| Propellant | Liquid oxygen / Liquid hydrogen |
| Configuration | |
| Nozzle ratio | 21.5 |
| Performance | |
| Thrust, sea-level | RS-68: 660,000 lbf (2,950 kN) RS-68A: 705,000 lbf (3,137 kN) |
| Thrust-to-weight ratio | RS-68: 45.3 RS-68A: 47.4 |
| Chamber pressure | 1,488 psi (10.26 MPa) |
| Specific impulse, vacuum | RS-68: 410 s (4.0 km/s) RS-68A: 412 s (4.04 km/s) |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 17.1 ft (5.20 m) |
| Diameter | 8 ft 0 in (2.43 m) |
| Dry weight | RS-68: 14,560 lb (6,600 kg) RS-68A: 14,870 lb (6,740 kg) |
| Used in | |
| Delta IV | |
Its development started in the 1990s with the goal of producing a simpler, less-costly, heavy-lift engine for the Delta IV launch system. Two versions of the engine have been produced: the original RS-68 and the improved RS-68A. A third version, the RS-68B, was planned for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Ares V rocket before cancellation of the rocket and the Constellation Program altogether.
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