Space Shuttle Main Engines SSME

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Space Shuttle Main Engines(SSME)

• ELDON TRIGGS
• AERO 4730
• SPACE MISSION DESIGN

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Space Shuttle Main Engines(SSME)

• History
• Lessons Learned from Mercury-Apollo
• Pump and Nozzle Construction
• Fuel and Oxidizer Combinations
• Contract Awarded March 1972
• Rockwell Rocketdyne (F-1, J-2, etc)
• Parts Proven and Verified by J-2 Engine (Apollo)
• Light-Chill-Light Ability
• Material Dependability/Durability
• Throttleability by Pressure Management

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Space Shuttle Main Engines(SSME)

• History Continued
• The J-2 features
• Independently driven pumps for both liquid oxygen
  and liquid hydrogen
• A gas generator to supply hot gas to two turbines
  running in series
• Pneumatic and electrical control interlocks for
  valve control
• Altitude restart capability
• Propellant utilization system controls mixture
  ratio

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Space Shuttle Main Engines(SSME)
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Space Shuttle Main Engines(SSME)
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Space Shuttle Main Engines(SSME)

• BLOCK II High Pressure Fuel Turbopump
• Three stage centrifugal pump
• Two stage hot gas turbine
• 36,200 RPM

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Space Shuttle Main Engines(SSME)
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Space Shuttle Main Engines(SSME)

• Purpose of Low Pressure Turbopumps is to prevent
  cavitation
• Cavitation is the phenomenon where small cavities
  of partial vacuum form in fluid then rapidly
  collapse, producing a sharp sound

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Space Shuttle Main Engines(SSME)
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Space Shuttle Main Engines(SSME)
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Space Shuttle Main Engines(SSME)
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Space Shuttle Main Engines(SSME)

• Contingency Abort (During ascent)

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Space Shuttle Main Engines(SSME)

• Return To Launch Site (RTLS)
• Transoceanic Abort Landing (TAL)

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Space Shuttle Main Engines(SSME)

• Abort Once Around

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Space Shuttle Main Engines(SSME)

• Abort Once Around

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Space Shuttle Main Engines(SSME)

• Abort To Orbit (STS-51F-Eng 3)

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Space Shuttle Main Engines(SSME)
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Space Shuttle Main Engines(SSME)

• Questions?