In July of 1999 two linear aerospike rocket engines will power the first flight of NASA's X-33 advanced technology demonstrator. The aerospike received serious consideration for NASA's current space shuttle, but was eventually rejected in 1969 in favor of high chamber pressure bell engines, in part because of perceived technical risk. The aerospike engine has several performance advantages over conventional bell engines. However, these performance advantages are difficult to validate by ground test. The X-33 demonstrator provides an opportunity to prove the aerospike's performance advantage in flight before commiting to an operational vehicle.
X-33 Linear Aerospike Engine
1998
5 pages
Report
No indication
English
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