Propulsion for the

21st Century
- Cost Driven Design/Development/Delivery
Rocketdyne
CP2-12_5028-1
B1-043sh

RS-68 Operating Schematic

Main LOX
Inlet

Helium
Spin Line

Main Fuel
Inlet
GG
Oxid
Valve

GG
Fuel
Valve
Fuel Turbopump

Oxid
Turbopump
LOX Tank
Pressurization

Gas Generator
(GG)

Fuel
Tank
Repress

Main Fuel
Valve
Heat
Exchanger

Main
Oxid
Valve

Regen
Cooled
Chamber
Ablative Lined
Nozzle

Roll Control
Nozzle

Rocketdyne
CP2-12_5086-2
B1-043sh

RS-68 Operating Characteristics

Thrust, vac (KN)

(K kg-f/Klb-f)

Full
Power
3,341
341/751

Minimum
Power
1,922
197/432

Thrust, s/l (KN)

(K kg-f/Klb-f)

2,918
299/656

1,499
153/337

9.79
1,420

5.62
815

Chamber pressure (MPa)

(psia)
Engine mixture ratio

6.0

Isp, vacuum (sec)

409

Isp, sea level (sec)

357

Rocketdyne
CP2-12_5086-3
B1-043sh

RS-68 Engine
5.2M

LO2
Turbopump

Heat
Exchanger
Main Chamber

2.4M

Thrust Frame
LH2 Turbopump

Nozzle
Roll Control

Rocketdyne
CP2-12_5086-4
B1-043sh

RS-68 Components
Gas
Generator
Oxidizer
Turbopump

Fuel
Turbopump

Injector
Heat Exchanger
Fuel Exhaust
Gimbal Bearing

Ducts
Combustion
Chamber

Propellant Valves

Rocketdyne

Nozzle
CP2-12_5086-5
B1-043sh

CAIV Key Elements

Costs as the
Independent
Variable
(CAIV)

Integrated and
Product
Team Driven

Design to fabricate (unit cost)

Single 3D design/analysis/fab model
Minimize parts, welding & new matls
Fab process capability built in
Wont Fail Approach
Electronic work instructions
Design to avoid failures (development cost)
Simple - minimize pressure/cooling
Mature technology
Margin to experience
Component/subsystem risk mitigation

Rocketdyne
CP2-12_5086-6
B1-043sh

Digital Driven Design Environment

Suppliers
Customers

Virt
ua
l
n
sig
De

Data Links

Interactive
Workstations

Rocketdyne

Virtual
Design

Associative
Associative
3-D
3-D
Master
MasterModel
Model

Single
Product Definition
Database

CP2-12_5086-7
B1-043sh

RS-68 Desktop 3D Engine Design Model

Rocketdyne
CP2-12_5086-8
B1-043sh

RS-68 Virtual Design

Thermal

FEM

Design
Solid
Model

Associative &
Interactive
IPT Concurrence

Static
Dynamic
Thermal

Total

Rocketdyne
CP2-12_5086-9
B1-043sh

RS-68 Main Chamber Fabrication

Hot Isostatic Pressure
bonding reduces cycle
time from 24 to 12 months

RS-68

Rocketdyne

SSME

Furnace
CP2-12_5086-10
B1-043sh

Turbomachinery Design Simplification

7

Blisks

Block II
SSME
Block II Fuel
SSME LOX

Cost ($M)

SSME

RS-68

RS-68
RS-68vs
vsSSME
SSME

Castings

3
2
1
00

Rocketdyne

RS-68
LOX

RS-68
Fuel

50

100

150

200

250

Number of Unique Parts

(1 unique part = 1 drawing number)
CP2-12_5086-11
B1-043sh

$3.0

300

$2.5

250

$2.0
$1.5
$1.0

Corrective Actions

Cost of Corrective Actions, $B

Risk Quantification
UnknownUnknowns

200

KnownUnknowns

Rocketdyne
Historical
Data

150
100

$0.5

50

$0

Close to
Experience

RS-68
Assessment
0.5

0.8

Average Risk Factor

Rocketdyne
CP2-12_5086-12
B1-043sh

Mitigating Identified Risks

Gas Generator Tests

(SSFL)

Electrochemical
Machining

BOEING PROPRIETARY

Hot Isostatic
Pressure Bonding

RS-68 Design vs Experience (SSME)

60

50

45
Pressure

62

Reqd
Cooling

50

SSME

Pump
Speed

100

150

Turbine
Temp

Percent of SSME

150

Propellant Flowrate/Thrust

Injector stability Tests

(MSFC)

Environments

Key Operating Conditions

Rocketdyne
CP1-6-D021-19
RS-68 Technical Lessons Learned

Rocketdyne
Propulsion & Power

9912207.ppt
aw

CP2-12_5086-13
B1-043sh

Incremental Test Approach

Combustion Devices
Turbopump Assembly
Gas Generator

Add

Add

Powerpack
Testing

Turbopump Testing
Cold Gas Turbine Drive
Prototype Engine Testing

Rocketdyne
CP2-12_5086-14
B1-043sh

RS-68 Test Facilities

SSC B-1
B-1B

Development/Cert

AFRL 1-A
B-1A

Development/Cert
Production

Development / Limits Testing

Rocketdyne
CP2-12_5086-15
B1-043sh

Engine Test Program

Accumulative Pre-mature Cuts

due to engine anomaly

200
180

SSME Development ended

Certification started

160

First Flight
615 Tests
12 Major
Failures

140
120
100
80
60
40

RS-68 post
certification

20

183 Tests

No Major
Failures

0
0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

Accumulative Number of Tests

Rocketdyne
CP2-12_5086-16
B1-043sh

RS-68 Development Issues Resolved

Fuel Tubopump
Oxidizer
Turbine Disc
Turbopump
Crack
Turbine
Disc/Blade
Cracks

Resolved

Resolved
Oxidizer Turbine Drive Duct Crack

High Nozzle Ablation Rate

Erosion (in)

Test max

Test avg
6
8

10

12

14

Area Ratio

Resolved

16

18

20

Model Prediction

Resolved

Rocketdyne
CP2-12_5086-17
B1-043sh

RS-68 Operational Margin

Demonstrated Range

Engine Thrust
51%

101

58

105%

Mixture Ratio
5.3

Fuel Turbopump
Speed, rpm
LOX Turbopump
Speed, rpm
Gas Generator
Temp (K)
Rocketdyne

6.0

8.5

13650

22472

5090

9686

567

989
Full Mission Power
Minimum Mission Power
CP2-12_5086-18
B1-043sh

RS-68 Endurance Margin

Total Starts

35
30

E10206

25

E10107
(CERT)
E10204

20

E10108

Endurance Requirement

15

E20001
(CERT)

Certification Requirement

10

Maximum Flight

5
0
0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

Total Time, sec.

Rocketdyne
CP2-12_5086-19
B1-043sh

RS-68 Anchored Reliability

Methodology Overview
SSME
Historical
Data

Comparative
Design
Assessment

RS-68
Predicted
Data

Prediction Result
.0016

Failure probability

RS-68 vs. SSME

.0014

SSME

.0012
.0010

RS-68

.0008

SSME (Block II)

Demonstrated
Reliability = .9983

RS-68 reliability
Predicted =.9987

Based on 970,000 secs.

.0006
.0004
.0002
.0000
Propellant
Main
Feed
Combustion

Control

GG Assembly Exhaust
(Preburners
for SSME)

Ancillary

Gimbal

Rocketdyne
CP2-12_5086-20
B1-043sh

Non-Recurring Development Cost

(2001 Dollars)

3
2.5
2

$B

1.5

Fail
Fix
$2.15B

Fail
Fix
$1.52B

Fail
Fix
$2.18B

Basic
Prog.
$688M

Basic
Prog.
$490M

Basic
Prog.
$734M

Basic
Prog.
$344M

F-1

J-2

SSME

RS-68

Fail
Fix
$156M

0.5
0

Saturn/Apollo
1960s

Reusable
1970-1981

1997-2001

Rocketdyne
CP2-12_5086-21
B1-043sh

Test What You Fly

Rocketdyne
CP2-12_5086-22
B1-043sh

RS-68 Engine Assembly Facility

Rocketdyne
0012228.ppt
CP2-12_5086-23
mm
B1-043sh

RS-68: Ready to Fly!

Rocketdyne
CP2-12_5086-24
B1-043sh

RS-68 Summary
First rocket engine designed
specifically for Low Cost
Affordable space lift
World-wide commercial
competitiveness
U.S. Designed Using State-of-the-Art
Tools
Fully tested & certified to fly
U.S. Producibility cost unmatched
A new generation:

Rocket Scientists

Rocketdyne
CP2-12_5086-25
B1-043sh