Development and Flight Operation of a 5 lb_f to 20 lb_f O_2/CH_4 Roll Control Engine for Project Morpheus

摘要

The development and flight operation of a 22 N to 89 N (5 lb_f to 20 lb_f) O_2/CH_4 rocket engine is discussed herein. The Roll Control Engine (RCE) was designed by NASA JSC for the Project Morpheus flying vertical test bed and is fully integrated with the Morpheus main engine. Morpheus is a NASA Advanced Exploration System (AES) Project lead out of JSC. Several iterations of the RCE design have resolved some technical problems which are described in the present work. Over 20 flight tests have demonstrated that the Roll Control System(RCS) engines are reliable, capable of operation over a wide range of pressures (2400 kPa to 1000 kPa or 350 psig to 150 psig) and propellant temperatures (gas to liquid), and meet the control requirements for the vehicle. Information regarding ground turnaround and flight operational experience in the earth atmospheric environment is presented. The purpose of this work is to disseminate the knowledge that Project Morpheus has gained through res earch and development of this engine.