A nice video from the Commercial Spaceflight Federation:
8 thoughts on “The New Century In Space”
Sweet. They’ve really come a long way…
It’s morning in America every 90 minutes 100 miles up.
Following links from here I got to Jeff Greason’s ISDC speech which I’m halfway through. It’s excellent so far.
In the still shot shown in the video – before you hit play – what are those “sprays” under the engines? I’ve always thought they might be igniters.
Gregg, that’s exactly what they are. The world’s largest grill lighters.
Gregg, that’s exactly what they are. The world’s largest grill lighters.
They’re igniters, but intended to ignite any gaseous oxygen and hydrogen which might be vented as the main engines start, to avoid its accumulating in a quantity sufficient to cause trouble should it all detonate at once. The igniters which actually start the engine combustion are internal to the engine, before the preburners and at the main injector to the combustion chamber.
Thanks Brock….John…
The igniters which actually start the engine combustion are internal to the engine, before the preburners and at the main injector to the combustion chamber.
Which they would have to be, since if you mix LH2 and LOX and do not near-instantly ignite them, you won’t have an engine, you’ll have a bomb.
Sweet. They’ve really come a long way…
It’s morning in America every 90 minutes 100 miles up.
Following links from here I got to Jeff Greason’s ISDC speech which I’m halfway through. It’s excellent so far.
In the still shot shown in the video – before you hit play – what are those “sprays” under the engines? I’ve always thought they might be igniters.
Gregg, that’s exactly what they are. The world’s largest grill lighters.
They’re igniters, but intended to ignite any gaseous oxygen and hydrogen which might be vented as the main engines start, to avoid its accumulating in a quantity sufficient to cause trouble should it all detonate at once. The igniters which actually start the engine combustion are internal to the engine, before the preburners and at the main injector to the combustion chamber.
Thanks Brock….John…
The igniters which actually start the engine combustion are internal to the engine, before the preburners and at the main injector to the combustion chamber.
Which they would have to be, since if you mix LH2 and LOX and do not near-instantly ignite them, you won’t have an engine, you’ll have a bomb.