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.

Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne Engines Power the Rocket Boosting the Latest Communications Satellite for U.S. Department of Defense

Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne demonstrated the consistent reliability of its propulsion systems by successfully boosting the fourth in a series of Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) satellites to increase communications capabilities for the U.S. Department of Defense. The mission launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., aboard 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 WGS satellites are part of a larger system that increases military communications capabilities for U.S. and alliance forces deployed worldwide. They help support the exchange of information, execution of tactical command and control, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.

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.

Coverage:

• Air Force Launches New Military Communications Satellite Into Orbit (SPACE.com)
  

P&W Rocketdyne to Power Launch of Communications Satellite

Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne stands poised to power the fourth in a series of Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) communications satellites for the U.S. military on Jan. 19. This launch is scheduled to take off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, with Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne RS-68 and RL10B-2 engines providing booster and upper-stage propulsion, respectively.

Steve Bouley, vice president, Launch Vehicle and Hypersonic Systems, told the San Fernando Valley Business Journal more about the launch, which is the first of 11 scheduled missions for Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne this year. Click here to read the full story.

Coverage:

• Satellite Launch First 2012 Mission for Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne (San Fernando Valley Business Journal)

Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne: Smoke and Fire

Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne powered 14 successful launches during 2011. Payloads included humans, cargo and satellites vital to space exploration, worldwide communication, navigation, defense, research and development and weather prediction.

You can view highlights from each launch in the video embedded in this post.