Pratt
& Whitney Announces Plans to Develop RL60 Upper Stage Engine
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Pratt & Whitney
(P&W) Space Propulsion operations has announced plans to begin
development of a full-scale engine demonstrator for a next
generation high-performance liquid-hydrogen-fueled 290 kN (60,000
lbf) thrust class rocket engine, designated the RL60. P&W has
initiated the first phase of the development program, which includes
major component fabrication and demonstration testing later this
year, leading to a full-scale engine demonstrator test planned for
the end of 2002. Following a successful demonstrator engine program,
the RL60 could proceed into full-scale development and be ready for
service by the end of 2005.
The RL60's
performance increase will come in a package approximately the same
size as P&W's RL10, the upper-stage engine for Atlas, Titan and
Delta launch vehicles. The new engine will offer throttling
capability ranging from 225 to 290 kN (50,000 to 65,000 lbf) of
thrust. The RL60 engine is being developed to provide lift
capability growth for U.S. vehicles, such as Atlas and Delta, and
also international launch vehicles. The RL60 will incorporate recent
technological advancements developed by P&W and the U.S. Air
Force Research Laboratory Propulsion Directorate at Edwards Air
Force Base, through the Integrated High Payoff Rocket Propulsion
Technology (IHPRPT) Program.
While the RL60 will
be built and tested in the United States, key components will be
provided by three international industry strategic suppliers; Volvo
Aero of Sweden, Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries (IHI) of Japan
and KB KhimAvtomatiki (KBKhA - Chemical Automatics Design Bureau,
CADB) of Russia. Volvo Aero will provide a regeneratively cooled
nozzle, IHI will provide the main hydrogen (fuel) turbopump, and
KBKhA will produce the liquid oxygen (oxidizer) turbopump.
Last
year, P&W had pursued a teaming arrangement with Snecma to
jointly develop the SPW2000 engine for use on the Ariane 5 as well
as future Delta and Atlas vehicles. However, in June, the European
Space Agency decided instead to pursue its own engine program,
designated Vinci.
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