What engine did the shuttle use?
Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-25
Data is for RS-25D at 109% of rated power level. The Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-25, also known as the Space Shuttle main engine (SSME), is a liquid-fuel cryogenic rocket engine that was used on NASA’s Space Shuttle.
How many engines does the shuttle have itself?
three
The three Space Shuttle Main Engines, in conjunction with the Solid Rocket Boosters, provide the thrust to lift the Orbiter off the ground for the initial ascent. The main engines continue to operate for 8.5 minutes after launch, the duration of the Shuttle’s powered flight.
How do space shuttle engines work?
In a rocket engine , fuel and a source of oxygen, called an oxidizer, are mixed and exploded in a combustion chamber. The combustion produces hot exhaust which is passed through a nozzle to accelerate the flow and produce thrust.
What fuel did the shuttle use?
liquid hydrogen fuel
The Space Shuttle external tank (ET) was the component of the Space Shuttle launch vehicle that contained the liquid hydrogen fuel and liquid oxygen oxidizer. During lift-off and ascent it supplied the fuel and oxidizer under pressure to the three RS-25 main engines in the orbiter.
Who made the space shuttle engines?
Aerojet Rocketdyne
Designed and built by Aerojet Rocketdyne of Sacramento, California, RS-25 engines helped power the space shuttle over three decades through 135 missions, accumulating more than 3,000 starts and one million seconds of ground test and flight operation time.
Does space shuttle use engines to land?
The Space Shuttle flies as a glider during reentry and landing. During ascent, thrust is provided by the three Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSME’s) at the base of the orbiter and the two Solid Rocket Boosters (SRB’s) that are joined to the orange External Fuel Tank (ET).
How fast is a shuttle launch?
The final orbital speed of the space shuttle is approximately 28,000 km/hr (17,500 mph). Graph 1 provides an acceleration-time profile for the launch ascent phase of STS 121. The motion is modeled as linear motion.
Who makes space shuttle engines?
Why is shuttle tank orange?
Originally Answered: Why is the space shuttle fuel tank orange? According to nasa.gov, the external tank is orange due to a foam insulation sprayed on the tank’s aluminum structure.
Does the shuttle glide?
The Space Shuttle is a Lifting Body Approximately 24,000 feet above the Mojave Desert a high-tech glider was released from its flying perch. It glided effortlessly without engine power to a smooth landing on the desert floor.
How much horsepower did the space shuttle have?
about 37 million horsepower
How much horsepower do the shuttle’s main engines produce at the time of lift off? The three space shuttle main engines generate the maximum equivalent of about 37 million horsepower. The fuel pump alone delivers as much as 71,000 horsepower, the oxygen pump delivers about 23,000.
What type of fuel does a space shuttle use?
Liquid-fuel rockets most commonly use liquid oxygen and either kerosene or liquid hydrogen. These combinations work well in space and down closer to the ground, resulting in a multitude of uses from the first stages of the Saturn V and Falcon rockets to the Space Shuttle’s main engines used to get the orbiter in position in space.
How much horsepower does a Space Shuttle have?
The three space shuttle main engines generate the maximum equivalent of about 37 million horsepower. The fuel pump alone delivers as much as 71,000 horsepower, the oxygen pump delivers about 23,000.
What is the history of the Space Shuttle program?
The Space Shuttle program was the fourth human spaceflight program carried out by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which accomplished routine transportation for Earth-to-orbit crew and cargo from 1981 to 2011. Its official name, Space Transportation System (STS),…
What are the specifications of the Space Shuttle?
Photo credit: NASA/Kennedy Space Center. Each Space Shuttle Main Engine operates at a liquid oxygen/liquid hydrogen mixture ratio of 6 to 1 to produce a sea level thrust of 179,097 kilograms (375,000 pounds) and a vacuum thrust of 213,188 (470,000 pounds).