Space Shuttle Main Engines

E33426

The Space Shuttle Main Engines were highly efficient, reusable liquid-fuel rocket engines that powered NASA’s Space Shuttle orbiters during launch and ascent into space.

Try in SPARQL Jump to: Surface forms Statements Referenced by

All labels observed (6)

Label Occurrences
Space Shuttle Main Engine 4
Space Shuttle Main Engines canonical 3
RS-25 2

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf cryogenic rocket engine
liquid-fuel rocket engine
reusable rocket engine
rocket engine family
alsoKnownAs Space Shuttle Main Engines
surface form: RS-25

Space Shuttle Main Engines
surface form: SSME
chamberPressure about 207 bar
controlSystem digital engine controller
coolingMethod regenerative cooling
countryOfOrigin United States of America
surface form: United States
cycleType staged combustion cycle
derivativeDesignation RS-25D
RS-25D
surface form: RS-25E
designAgency Marshall Space Flight Center
surface form: NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
developmentStart 1970s
firstFlight STS-1
firstFlightDate 1981-04-12
fuelPumpType high-speed turbopumps
gimbalCapability thrust vector control for vehicle steering
heritageProgram Space Launch System
lastShuttleFlight STS-135
lastShuttleFlightDate 2011-07-08
manufacturer Aerojet Rocketdyne
surface form: Rocketdyne
mountingLocation aft fuselage of the Space Shuttle orbiter
notableCharacteristic among the most efficient chemical rocket engines ever flown
throttleable during ascent
numberOfEnginesPerOrbiter 3
operator NASA
oxidizerToFuelMixtureRatio approximately 6:1
primaryRole main propulsion during launch and ascent
propellantType liquid hydrogen
liquid oxygen
reusability designed for multiple flights
safetyFeature redundant control systems
specificImpulseAtSeaLevel about 366 seconds
specificImpulseInVacuum about 452 seconds
statusAfterShuttleRetirement refurbished for Space Launch System core stage
testFacility Stennis Space Center
throttleRange approximately 67 percent to 109 percent of rated power level
thrustAtSeaLevel about 1.8 meganewtons per engine
thrustInVacuum about 2.1 meganewtons per engine
usedForProgram NASA Space Shuttle program
surface form: Space Shuttle program
usedOnVehicle Space Shuttle Atlantis
Space Shuttle Challenger
Space Shuttle Columbia
Space Shuttle Discovery
Space Shuttle Endeavour
Space Shuttle orbiter

Referenced by (12)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

NASA Space Shuttle program propulsion Space Shuttle Main Engines
Space Launch System coreStageEngine Space Shuttle Main Engines
this entity surface form: RS-25
Stennis Space Center testedEngineType Space Shuttle Main Engines
this entity surface form: Space Shuttle Main Engine
Stennis Space Center testedEngineType Space Shuttle Main Engines
this entity surface form: RS-25 engine
Space Shuttle Main Engines alsoKnownAs Space Shuttle Main Engines
this entity surface form: SSME
Space Shuttle Main Engines alsoKnownAs Space Shuttle Main Engines
this entity surface form: RS-25
Space Shuttle orbiter hasComponent Space Shuttle Main Engines
SLS coreStageEngineOrigin Space Shuttle Main Engines
subject surface form: Space Launch System
this entity surface form: Space Shuttle Main Engine
A-2 Test Stand notableForTesting Space Shuttle Main Engines
this entity surface form: Space Shuttle Main Engine
RS-25D heritage Space Shuttle Main Engines
this entity surface form: Space Shuttle Main Engine program
Orbital Maneuvering System usedWith Space Shuttle Main Engines
this entity surface form: Space Shuttle Main Engine
Space Shuttle propulsion Space Shuttle Main Engines