NK-15
Country of origin | Soviet Union |
---|---|
Date | 1960s |
Designer | Kuznetsov Design Bureau |
Application | 1st/2nd-stage engine |
Successor | NK-33 |
Liquid-fuel engine | |
Propellant | LOX / kerosene |
Cycle | Staged combustion |
Pumps | Turbopump |
Performance | |
Thrust, vacuum | 1,753 kN (394,000 lbf) |
Thrust, sea-level | 1,505 kN (338,000 lbf) |
Throttle range | 50–105% |
Thrust-to-weight ratio | 137 |
Chamber pressure | 14.50 MPa (2,103 psi) |
Specific impulse, vacuum | 331 seconds (3.25 km/s) |
Specific impulse, sea-level | 297 seconds (2.91 km/s) |
Dimensions | |
Length | 3.7 m (12 ft) |
Diameter | 2 m (6 ft 7 in) |
Dry weight | 1,247 kg (2,749 lb) |
The NK-15 (GRAU index 11D51) was a rocket engine designed and built in the late 1960s by the Kuznetsov Design Bureau. The NK designation was derived from the initials of chief designer Nikolay Kuznetsov. The NK-15 was among the most powerful LOX/kerosene rocket engines when it was built, with a high specific impulse and low structural mass. It was intended for the ill-fated Soviet N-1 Moon rocket.
History[]
The engine equipped the N1 rocket - the first two launch attempts failed due to this engine.[1] Its successor the NK-33 allowing multiple fire resistance tests and increased life service was to be used on the N1F, a new version of the N1, but the program was cancelled.
Versions[]
- NK-15V (GRAU index 11D52): Modified NK-15 optimized for vacuum operation, used on the N1 second stage.
See also[]
References[]
- ^ Chertok, Boris E. (2011). Rockets and people (PDF). Washington, DC: NASA. p. 208,230. ISBN 978-0-16-089559-3. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
External links[]
Categories:
- Rocket engines of the Soviet Union
- Rocket engines using kerosene propellant
- Soviet lunar program
- Science and technology in the Soviet Union
- Rocket engines using the staged combustion cycle