Misplaced Pages

LR105

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
(Redirected from XLR-105-5) Liquid-fuel rocket engine (Atlas sustainer)
Some of this article's listed sources may not be reliable. Please help improve this article by looking for better, more reliable sources. Unreliable citations may be challenged and removed. (October 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
An LR105 Atlas sustainer engine on display at the Air Zoo.

The LR105 is a liquid-fuel rocket engine that served as the sustainer engine for the Atlas rocket family. Developed by Rocketdyne in 1957 as the S-4, it is called a sustainer engine because it continues firing after the LR89 booster engines have been jettisoned, providing thrust during the ascent phase.

Description

The LR105 is a liquid-propellant engine using RP-1/LOX. The engine operates on a gas-generator cycle, where a small portion of the propellant is burned in a gas generator to drive the turbopumps, which supply the engine with fuel and oxidizer.

The engine was designed to be throttleable, meaning its thrust could be adjusted during flight to optimize performance. The LR105 also features regenerative cooling, where RP-1 fuel is circulated through cooling channels in the engine's nozzle and combustion chamber before being injected into the combustion process, preventing overheating and improving efficiency.

Versions

The LR105 engine underwent several upgrades over its operational life, leading to multiple variants:

Version Year Thrust (kN) Specific impulse (s) Burn Time (s) Details
LR105-3 1957 375.00 308 Atlas A, Atlas B
XLR105-5 1958 363.20 309 335 Atlas-Able, Atlas B, Atlas-Centaur, Atlas D, Atlas-Agena, Atlas LV-3B
LR105-5 1958 386.40 316 430 Atlas-Centaur, Atlas E, Atlas-Agena, Atlas F, Atlas SLV-3
LR105-7 1963 386.40 316 266 Atlas Agena, Atlas F, Atlas H, Atlas G, Atlas I

See also

References

  1. ^ Wade, Mark (2019). "LR105-3". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved 2024-10-12.
  2. "Convair SM-65 Atlas". National Museum of the US Air Force.
  3. ^ McCutcheon, Kimble D. (2022). "U.S. Manned Rocket Propulsion Evolution - Part 5: The Atlas Missile". Aircraft Engine Historical Society. Retrieved 2024-10-12.
  4. Bilstein, Roger E. (August 1999). Stages to Saturn: A Technological History of the Apollo/Saturn Launch Vehicle. DIANE Publishing. p. 119. ISBN 978-0-7881-8186-3.
  5. Wade, Mark (2019). "S-4 engine". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved 2024-10-12.
  6. Wade, Mark (2019). "Rocketdyne". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved 2024-10-12.
  7. Swopes, Bryan (2024-08-27). "Rocketdyne LR105-NA-5 | This Day in Aviation". Retrieved 2024-10-12.
  8. Wade, Mark (2019). "LR105-5". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved 2024-10-12.
  9. Wade, Mark (2019). "XLR105-5". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved 2024-10-12.
  10. Wade, Mark (2019). "LR105-7". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved 2024-10-12.
Rocket engines and solid motors for orbital launch vehicles
Liquid
fuel
Cryogenic
Hydrolox
(LH2 / LOX)
Methalox
(CH4 / LOX)
Semi-
cryogenic
Kerolox
(RP-1 / LOX)
Storable
Hypergolic (Aerozine,
UH 25, MMH, or UDMH
/ N2O4, MON, or HNO3)
Other
Solid
fuel
  • * Different versions of the engine use different propellant combinations
  • Engines in italics are under development


Stub icon

This rocketry article is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it.

Categories: