Space Shuttle Main Engine

The space transportation system includes the orbiter which is what people usually think of as the space shuttle connected to a large external fuel tank and two solid rocket boosters.

Space shuttle main engine. The engine underwent five major upgrades during its life on shuttle each time incorporating the modern technologies and innovations and each time demonstrating major improvements in safety and reliability. The rs 25 evolved from aerojet rocketdyne s space shuttle main engine ssme that successfully powered 135 flights of the space shuttle. The space shuttle main engines was the only high pressure closed cycle reusable cryogenic rocket engine ever flown. Unlike all of nasa s liquid fuel rocket engines the ssme was reusable.

Although not the most powerful rocket engine ever flown the space shuttle main engine ssme burned fuel more efficiently than many of its predecessors. The aerojet rocketdyne rs 25 also known as the space shuttle main engine ssme is a liquid fuel cryogenic rocket engine that was used on nasa s space shuttle. Three of these engines were mounted in the base of the american space shuttle and were fed liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants from the space shuttle external tank during ascent to orbit. The space shuttle s three main engines operated for 8 minutes and 40 seconds for each shuttle flight with a combined output of 37 million horsepower.

Space shuttle main engine ssme. Each space shuttle main engine operates at a liquid oxygen liquid hydrogen mixture ratio of 6 to 1 to produce a sea level thrust of 179 097 kilograms 375 000 pounds and a vacuum thrust of 213 188 470 000 pounds.