4 ms·
Correct, but the RS-25 that are newly ordered from Aerojet Rocketdyne will not be reusable (not built to be reused).
by mattashii 6y ago
Correct, but the RS-25 that are newly ordered from Aerojet Rocketdyne will not be reusable (not built to be reused).
- jjoonathan 6y agoWeren't some of them refurbs? As in, shuttle hardware that was designed to be reusable and was reused is now planned to be unceremoniously dumped in the ocean? In any case, even if the discardables are all new, it's a shameful step back. I am so glad they have competition now.
- V_Terranova_Jr 6y agoAnyone that wants to order a reusable RS-25 can have Aerojet Rocketdyne configure and manufacture it that way. See also the AR-22 variant used on the ill-fated DARPA XSP program. The real issue with that engine isn't its reusability, it's that the industry has learned a lot about rocket engine design, operation, and manufacturing since the RS-25 was developed. That's reflected in the engines available from the likes of Blue Origin and SpaceX. No knock on the RS-25 - it stands as a watershed achievement for humanity in the engineering of thermodynamic systems. Though calling the SpaceX engines "available" needs the caveat that SpaceX will not make them available outside of SpaceX.