Courtesy Photo | NASA | 12.28.2010
As assembly continues for NASA's J-2X engine, engineers have completed analysis of data collected from the latest round of tests of the engine's workhorse gas generator. The gas generator produces a large volume of hot gas that powers the engine's turbo-machinery. During the series of hot-fire tests at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center this summer, engineers demonstrated that hardware......
Courtesy Photo | NASA | 12.28.2010
Artist concept of the J-2X rocket engine, Nov. 2010. Image credit: NASA/MSFC NASA Identifier: 499096main_J2X_eng_4_5_5_12_09...
Courtesy Photo | NASA | 12.28.2010
Artist concept of the J-2X rocket engine, Nov. 2010. Image credit: NASA/MSFC NASA Identifier: 499080main_7280_J2-X_v3a
Courtesy Photo | NASA | 12.28.2010
The J-2X fuel pump is the heart of the J-2X engine. Much like the human heart pumps blood through the body, the fuel pump distributes liquid hydrogen through the engine. As the liquid hydrogen moves through the engine, it cools the main combustion chamber and nozzle, which are exposed to combustion gases that can reach temperatures upwards of 6,000-degrees Fahrenheit. The hydrogen is then......
Courtesy Photo | NASA | 12.28.2010
The J-2X oxidizer turbopump delivers high pressure liquid oxygen to the engine's main injector, where it meets hydrogen fuel to produce thrust. Hot-fire engine tests are planned for 2011 at Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. Credit: Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne NASA Identifier: 507259main_LO2_TP...
Courtesy Photo | NASA | 12.28.2010
The turbomachinery assemblies for the first development J-2X engine off the production line are completed and ready for transport to Stennis Space Center where the full engine will be assembled and tested next year. The fuel turbopump assembly, pictured in the background, follows the successful assembly of the oxidizer turbopump. The J-2X engine is a highly efficient and versatile rocket......
Courtesy Photo | NASA | 12.28.2010
The H-IIA rocket lifts off from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan. The H-IIA has been supporting satellite launch missions as a major large-scale launch vehicle with high reliability. NASA Identifier: 481603main_rpd_Japan...
Courtesy Photo | NASA | 12.28.2010
A Taurus XL rocket prepares for launch at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The four-stage Taurus XL rocket, built by Orbital Sciences Corp., is designed to be a versatile and dependable vehicle that can place a payload weighing up to 1,360 kilograms (3,000 pounds) into low Earth orbit. NASA Identifier: 481579main_rpd_Taurus...
