Watch NASA test fire new and improved Artemis moon rocket engine (video)

[Admin]

NASA engineers have hot-fired the redesigned Artemis moon rocket in preparation for future Space Launch System (SLS) flights that will take humanity back to the moon and beyond.

Watch NASA test fire new and improved Artemis moon rocket engine (video) : Read more

 

[Aldo Giovanny Ruiz]

The engine with the highest performance and thrust, which would you say it is?

 

[TroyH]

The F1 Rocketdyne engine(s) designed 60+ years ago are more powerful than these newer Artemis engines. One F1 engine makes almost 2 million pounds of thrust (~4 Artemis engines) WTH Why build something new that needs 4 engines when you already have a proven entity (0 failures)

 

[Unclear Engineer]

The F1 burned kerosene fuel. The Artemis rockets use hydrogen fuel. So, not directly interchangeable.

Why the Artemis program uses hydrogen fuel is the question. For one thing, these are repurposed rocket engines from the Space Shuttle, so the real question is why did the Shuttle us liquid hydrogen?

SpaceX has decided to go with liquid natural gas/methane. And to use 33 rocket motors on its Super Heavy first stage. The goal there is to have a fuel that is easier to handle than liquid hydrogen, so that the reuseable stage can get turned around for reuse quickly. And the use of so many rocket engines in the SpaceX design allows for the vehicle to achieve orbit even if a couple of the engines malfunction and need to be shut-down after liftoff.