Big Blast Nearly There...

Pratt & Whitney Space Propulsion this month received a main fuel (hydrogen) turbopump from Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co. for the development of its new RL60 engine. The RL60 has 90% of its components complete and is expected to begin full testing in September.

The RL60 is a cryogenic upper-stage engine designed to produce 60,000 pounds of thrust with a specific impulse of 465 seconds to meet the evolving needs of expendable launch requirements or human-rated missions.

"The RL60 is truly the next generation upper-stage rocket engine," Pratt & Whitney Space Propulsion and Russian Operations President Larry Knauer said. "By leveraging 40 years of expander cycle experience with the latest technology, we are able to offer a high-performing, high-flexibility engine that can fire multiple times in space."

The reception of the main fuel turbopump, which consists of a two-stage Centrifugal Pump and two-Stage Axial Flow Turbine and Ceramic ball bearings, will allow P&W to verify the performance of the component by installing it on the RL60 engine demonstrator.

FMI: www.Pratt-Whitney.com