File:PRATT & WHITNEY RL-10 ROCKET ENGINE (5003286786).jpg
From Spacefaring
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Summary
| Description |
English: First developed in 1959, the Pratt & Whitney RL10 was the first hydrogen/oxygen engine, yet it is still the most fuel efficient engine ever made, and the highest ISP engine flying today.
It has carried spacecraft the moon and the sun and every planet in our solar system and beyond (Mariner, Pioneer, Voyager, Cassini, Mars Viking, Helios solar probe, Lunar Surveyor, Venus 2, LCROSS). It powers the second stage of the Saturn, Atlas V, Titan and Delta III and IV. The bell on the right is actually composed of 360 pipes that route the super-chilled hydrogen fuel down and back before combustion to keep the nozzle from melting (regenerative cooling). They are brazed together with pure silver on a bell-shaped mandrel. This engine uses a clever expander cycle with gear-coupled fuel and oxidizer turbo pumps, a design that has not been used on any other hydrogen engine. The phase change of the hydrogen fuel powers both the fuel and oxidizer cyro pumps. A Pratt & Whitney employee claimed that this unit was the second one built. It may be the only original RL10 in private circulation. More details below. Arrival video |
| Date | Taken on 17 September 2010, 16:23:52 |
| Source | PRATT & WHITNEY RL-10 ROCKET ENGINE |
| Author | jurvetson |
| Flickr sets | Rockets 🚀; Space Collection 🚀 |
| Flickr tags | pratt; big; saturn; saturniv; atlas; turbo; rocket; iii; delta; hydrogen; photos; cycle; atlasv; engine; titan; oxygen; whitney; cyro; bigiron; everyone; pumps; rl10; iv; expansion |
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This image was originally posted to Flickr by jurvetson at https://flickr.com/photos/44124348109@N01/5003286786. It was reviewed on 31 January 2025 by FlickreviewR 2 and was confirmed to be licensed under the terms of the cc-by-2.0. |
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| Date/Time | Thumbnail | Dimensions | User | Comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| current | 01:46, 31 January 2025 | | 5,495 × 3,403 (4.68 MB) | wikimediacommons>OptimusPrimeBot | #Spacemedia - Upload of https://live.staticflickr.com/4092/5003286786_3426e2063c_o.jpg via Commons:Spacemedia |
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