3 ms·
If you are talking about the sparks sprayed towards the engines, then that wasn't the ignition system. Igniting a rocket engine like that would cause the flame
by Artlav 10y ago
If you are talking about the sparks sprayed towards the engines, then that wasn't the ignition system.
Igniting a rocket engine like that would cause the flame to travel backwards into the combustion chamber and the engine to spontaneously disassemble.
The sparks merely burned off the excess hydrogen that might escape from the engines and avoid unplanned conflagrations around the pad from it.
Actual ignition was done by ignitors inside the engines themselves.
- Aelinsaar 10y agoTIL! So... the ignitors inside the engines were... electronic? Chemical?
- tfickett 10y agoOn the SSME there's something called a Augmented Spark Igniter located in the center of the injector. It burns fuel and oxidizer to make a jet of flame which ignites the whole mess. The details are in here: http://large.stanford.edu/courses/2011/ph240/nguyen1/docs/SSME_PRESENTATION.pdf http://large.stanford.edu/courses/2011/ph240/nguyen1/docs/SS...
- Aelinsaar 10y agoThanks very much.