[AR] Re: SpaceX F9 Launch/Update -- Live Link
- From: David Weinshenker <daze39@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: arocket@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 27 Dec 2015 21:47:32 -0800
On 12/25/2015 09:25 PM, Henry Spencer wrote:
Because the US has no suitable large liquid engines. The RS-27A is out
of production and too small, the RS-68 uses the wrong fuel for
high-thrust first-stage engines, and that was basically it for
off-the-shelf engines. And there is reason to fear the cost and schedule
impact of having MSFC and Rocketdyne develop a big new engine. No,
reviving the F-1 would not solve the problem -- as witness the J-2X,
such an effort would almost certainly end up building essentially a new
engine. No, there is no realistic prospect that it wouldn't be an
MSFC/Rocketdyne project.
It turns out (per wikipedia) that Aerojet-Rocketdyne is proposing a new
LOX/kero "AR1" engine of 500k lbf. thrust (which seems to be about what
would be wanted) - USAF analysis thinks it would take "6-8 years to
develop", Ajet-Rdyne is claiming "ready by 2019".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerojet_Rocketdyne#AR1
My own though would be to start with the ~200k lbf. chamber designs
from the H-1/RS-27 (i.e., Saturn 1 / Delta) engine lineage, and
derated F-1 turbopump technology, and assemble a "four-chamber"
engine with a common pump system and mounting structure
(in the Russian style) - total thrust would be 800-900k lbf. -
and the depth of experience with that particular chamber
design lineage might be such that, even now, building similar
units might not require recovering too much "lost art".
-dave w
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