Three Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne RS-68A Engines Power Delta IV Heavy Upgrade Vehicle on Inaugural Flight

Video Credit: SpaceVidsNet, via YouTube

The sky rumbled and the ground shook as the three most powerful hydrogen-fueled liquid rocket engines ever built successfully boosted a U.S. government satellite into orbit on June 29. Developed by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, the RS-68A engines thundered into the sky on their inaugural launch, boosting a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket from the pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. Once above Earth’s atmosphere, the reliable Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne RL10B-2 engine provided upper-stage propulsion.

The RS-68A is a liquid-hydrogen/liquid-oxygen booster engine designed to provide increased thrust and improved fuel efficiency for the Delta IV family of launch vehicles. It evolved from the RS-68 engine, which was developed and certified for commercial use with private company funds. Each RS-68A provides 702,000 pounds of lift-off thrust, or 39,000 more pounds of thrust than the RS-68 engine, with increased combustion efficiency as well. During hot-fire tests, the RS-68A engine demonstrated the ability to operate for 4,800 seconds of cumulative run time – more than 10 times what’s needed to boost the Delta IV Heavy rocket into space.

Click here to read Pratt & Whitney's press release. 

Coverage:

• Delta IV launch: Secret, but very loud (Florida Today)
• World's most powerful rocket launches secret US satellite (Christian Science Monitor)
• Delta IV rocket launch from Cape Canaveral video (ABC Action News)
• Delta IV rocket launches into space (WMKG Orlando)

P&W Rocketdyne Engines Successfully Boost Government Payload Into Space

The sky rumbled with the sound of a rocket launch on April 3 as Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne once again demonstrated the consistent reliability of its propulsion systems with the successful lift-off of a critical satellite for the U.S. government. The mission launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., on a United Launch Alliance Delta IV medium rocket with Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne RS-68 and RL10B-2 engines providing the booster and upper-stage propulsion, respectively.

The RS-68 is the world's largest hydrogen-fueled engine, designed for heavy lift with 758,000 pounds of vacuum thrust and 663,000 pounds of sea-level thrust. The RL10B-2 is a unique cryogenic upper-stage engine that provides 465 seconds of specific impulse and 24,750 pounds of thrust.

Click here to read Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne's press release.

Coverage:

• Delta 4 Rocket Successfully Lofts Surveillance Satellite (Spaceflight Now)
• Rocket Launches Secret Spy Satellite for US Military (SPACE.com)
  

P&W Rocketdyne Vice President Interviewed on 'Space Show'

Steve Bouley, vice president, Launch Vehicle and Hypersonic Systems, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, was a guest on the Jan. 18 edition of The Space Show. In a 60-minute interview with Dr. David Livingston, Bouley discusses the RS-68 and RL10B-2 engines, which power the Delta IV; the evolution of hypersonic technology and other subjects.

Click here to listen to broadcast No. 1692 of The Space Show.