How can a rocket engine that generates 5,000 degree steam and 13,800 pounds of thrust form icicles at the rim of its nozzle? It's cryogenic. The Common Extensible Cryogenic Engine, CECE for short, ...
How can a rocket engine that generates 5,000 degree steam and 13,800 pounds of thrust form icicles at the rim of its nozzle? It's cryogenic. The Common Extensible Cryogenic Engine, CECE for short, has completed its third round of intensive testing. This technology development engine is fueled by a mixture of -297 degree Fahrenheit liquid oxygen and -423 Fahrenheit liquid hydrogen.
The engine components are super-cooled to similar low temperatures. As CECE burns its frigid fuels, gas composed of hot steam is produced and propelled out the nozzle creating thrust. The steam is cooled by the cold engine nozzle, condensing and eventually freezing at the nozzle exit to form icicles. Using liquid hydrogen and oxygen in rockets will provide major advantages for landing astronauts on the moon. Hydrogen is very light but enables about 40 percent greater performance (force on the rocket per pound of propellant) than other rocket fuels. Therefore, NASA can use this weight savings to bring a bigger spacecraft with a greater payload to the moon than with the same amount of conventional propellants. CECE is a step forward in NASA's efforts to develop reliable, robust technologies to return to the moon -- and a winter wonder.
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The reason water ice is generated at the nozzle exit is due to three factors: First, the major combustion byproduct of LOX and LH2 is water, H20. Secondly, The large area ratio of the nozzle, which is optimized for vacuum conditions, actually results in drastic cooling of the exhaust gases. Finally, the use of propellant for nozzle cooling results in a exceptionally cold nozzle wall, where ice can form.
Seems kind of silly to use this engine for a lunar landing. For anything going to or from the lunar surface you want absolute reliability which is something that H2/LOX engines do not provide. In Apollo they used a hyperglycolic engine and right for doing so because the fuels react on contact. Imagine how horrible it would have been if Neil and Buzz were stranded on the moon because they used a cryo engine that failed to ignite. It would have killed the space program.
The hypergollic OME from the shuttle is probably a better choice as far as reliability followed by the pressure fed Kero LOX Kestrel off Falcon 1. Though the hydrogen engine is in the LSAM for two reasons one Ares I can't do it's job so LOI is moved to Altair and they think someday they could refuel the lander via ISRU. Though by the time you got ISRU on the level to refuel a spacecraft you would not be flying Altair or Orion any more as both vehicles would have long since been retired.
They didn't "create" a new engine. It's just a RL-10 with deep throttle capabilities below 10% of it's rated thrust as needed for the new lunar lander.
Yes, that was a bad word for me to use. I already know about this engine, what I meant to say is that it's good they've created a new variation of this engine that is useful for landing.
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H ** 2 and O ** 2 give the maximum specific impulse at minimum weight among chemical rockets.
Though the hydrogen engine is in the LSAM for two reasons one Ares I can't do it's job so LOI is moved to Altair and they think someday they could refuel the lander via ISRU.
Though by the time you got ISRU on the level to refuel a spacecraft you would not be flying Altair or Orion any more as both vehicles would have long since been retired.
Excellent work NASA. Glad to hear they've created a more powerful engine with lighter fuel.