SuperDraco
SuperDraco is a hypergolic propellant rocket engine designed and built by SpaceX. It is part of the SpaceX Draco family of rocket engines. A redundant array of eight SuperDraco engines provides fault-tolerant propulsion for use as a launch escape system for the SpaceX Dragon 2, a passenger-carrying space capsule.
A pair of SuperDraco rocket engines at SpaceX Hawthorne facility | |
| Country of origin | United States |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | SpaceX |
| Application | Launch escape system, propulsive landing |
| Status | Operational |
| Liquid-fuel engine | |
| Propellant | NTO / MMH |
| Performance | |
| Thrust, sea-level | 71 kN (16,000 lbf), individually 32,000 lbf, dual-engine cluster |
| Chamber pressure | 6.9 MPa (1,000 psi) |
| Specific impulse, sea-level | 235 s (2.30 km/s) |
| Burn time | 25 seconds |
| Propellant capacity | 1,388 kg (3,060 lb) |
| Used in | |
| SpaceX Dragon 2 - Crew, DragonFly | |
SuperDraco rocket engines utilize a storable (non-cryogenic) hypergolic propellant which allows the engines to be fired many months after fueling and launch. They combine the functions of both a reaction control system and a main propulsive engine. Hypergolic fuels do not require an external source of ignition, providing increased reliability for the spacecraft.
The engines are used on crew transport flights to low Earth orbit, and were also projected to be used for entry, descent and landing control of the now-canceled Red Dragon to Mars.
SuperDracos are used on the SpaceX Dragon 2 crew-transporting space capsule and were used on the DragonFly, a prototype low-altitude reusable rocket that was used for flight testing various aspects of the propulsive-landing technology. While the engine is capable of 73,000 newtons (16,400 lbf) of thrust, during use for DragonFly testing, the engines were throttled to 68,170 newtons (15,325 lbf) to maintain vehicle stability.