#rocket engine

[supplyside]

Rocketdyne testing facility

[disa-azureous]

I finally made the last two fellas in the au!! (For now, the others will be added soon)

First, we have the engineer, Rocket Engine

And last we have Marinegraft, Rocket Engine’s creation!

For now, the Research AU fellas will have these lores, I'll add more to the story once I have some ideas about it. Uhhh, until then, these guys might have some silly doodles comic shenanigans!

[lonestarflight]

"In the Orbiter Processing Facility, Columbia's engine no. 2 is seen at left after its removal from the orbiter. After small cracks were discovered on the LH2 Main Propulsion System (MPS) flow liners in two other orbiters, program managers decided to move forward with inspections on Columbia before clearing it for flight on STS-107. The heat shields were removed, and after removing the three main engines, inspections of the flow liners will follow. The July 19 launch of Columbia on STS-107 has been delayed a few weeks."

Date: June 28-29, 2002

NASA ID: KSC-02PD-1092, KSC-02PD-1101, KSC-02PD-1107, KSC-02PD-1108

[goshyesvintageads]

General Motors Corp, 1962

[fuckyeahfluiddynamics]

Soyuz Exhaust

Here, a Soyuz rocket takes off in 2023, carrying three of the Expedition 70 crew to the International Space Station. This initial stage of the Soyuz launch vehicle uses four identical rocket boosters lashed around the second stage core.  (Image credit: NASA) Read the full article

[creature-studios]

The nuclear lightbulb is a theoretical propulsion concept that belongs to the family of gas-core nuclear thermal rockets. Unlike solid-core designs, it uses a gaseous fission reactor where uranium hexafluoride fuel is suspended in a high-temperature plasma state. This plasma emits intense ultraviolet radiation, which is contained within a transparent quartz or fused silica pressure vessel. The vessel acts like a "lightbulb," allowing the UV radiation to pass through and heat a surrounding propellant—typically hydrogen—without direct contact between the fuel and the working fluid.

This separation offers a major advantage: it prevents radioactive material from escaping with the exhaust, a key limitation of open-cycle gas-core designs. The nuclear lightbulb could theoretically achieve specific impulses between 1,500 and 3,000 seconds, far surpassing chemical rockets and even solid-core nuclear thermal engines. The high operating temperatures—up to 22,000°C (39,632°F)—enable more efficient energy transfer via radiation rather than conduction or convection, making it a compelling candidate for deep space missions if the materials challenges can be overcome.

Beyond propulsion, the concept has been explored for power generation. Because it operates at extremely high temperatures, the nuclear lightbulb could convert thermal energy into electricity with greater efficiency than conventional reactors. However, the idea remains speculative due to the extreme demands on materials science—especially the need for a vessel that is both transparent to UV and resistant to corrosion and neutron bombardment. While experiments have demonstrated some feasibility, such as using argon buffer gases and internal moderation to reduce critical mass requirements, the nuclear lightbulb remains a fascinating but unrealized vision of advanced nuclear technology.

[kply-industries]

[art-of-thomas-elliott]

Shipyard spacesuit propulsion unit.