- RD-0120 (rocket engine)
The Soviet RD-0120 (also designated 11D122) was the
Energia Core rocket engine, fueled by LH2/LOX, roughly equivalent to theSpace Shuttle main engine . These were attached to the Energia Core rather than the orbiter, so were not recoverable after a flight, but created a more modular design (the Energia Core could be used for a variety of missions besides launching the shuttle). The RD-0120 was technically superior to the SSME in a number of ways, some of which were evaluated by Rocketdyne for possible upgrades to the SSME. It achieved combustion stability without acoustic resonance chambers, and its regenerative cooling scheme (Soviet-style channel-wall vs. American-style spaghetti tube) was simpler and cheaper to manufacture.Specifications
RD-0120
Thrust (vacuum): 1.8639 MN (190 tons), (sealevel): 1.5171 MN
Specific impulse (vacuum): 454 s (4449 m/s), (sealevel): 359 s
Burn time: nominal 480-500 s, certified for 1670 s.
Basic engine weight: 3,449 kg.
Length: 4.55 m, Diameter: 2.42 m
Propellants: LOX & LH2
Mixture ratio: 6:1
Contractor:Chemical Automatics Design Bureau (Воронежском КБ Химавтоматики)
Vehicle Application: Energia Core stage.See also
*
Energia
*RD-170 References
*
Notes
External links
* [http://www.buran.ru/htm/molniya5.htm Molniya Research & Industrial Corporation's Buran page (english)]
* [http://www.buran.ru/htm/rd0120.htm RD-0120 details (in russian)]
* [http://www.buran.ru/htm/rocket.htm Energiya Booster details (in russian)]
* [http://www.astronautix.com/engines/rd0120.htm Encyclopedia Astronautica RD-0120 page]
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