Oxidizer Turbopump Assembled On Human-Rated Engine

The oxidizer turbopump for NASA's J-2X rocket engine has been successfully assembled, moving the next-generation, human-rated rocket engine one step closer to testing at Stennis Space Center, MS, in 2011.

J-2X Engine Mount

"The oxidizer turbopump is one of the most complex components on any rocket engine," said Jim Maser, president, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, which completed the assembly this week. "The assembly of the turbopump requires extreme care and precision, allowing it to distribute the highly chemically-reactive liquid propellant safely through the engine to meet unprecedented performance levels." 

The oxidizer turbopump delivers high pressure liquid oxygen to the engine's main injector, pumping more than 80 percent of the propellant consumed by the engine. It is driven by a turbine that uses the products of the gas generator after it has driven the engine's fuel turbopump. 

The J-2X engine is designed to accommodate the varying needs of space exploration, and incorporates state-of-the-art improvements. It was developed with heavy-lift capabilities in mind, and could play an important role as a powerful upper-stage engine for future missions to low-Earth orbit, Mars or an asteroid. Not only will NASA's J-2X use liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, but it has the capability of being a technology demonstrator, namely as a test-bed for a liquid oxygen-methane engine.

FMI: www.pw.utc.com, www.nasa.gov