METAL TAG REMOVED FROM ENERGIA ROCKET CORE ENGINE RD-0120 BEFORE THE LAUNCH
METAL TAG REMOVED FROM ENERGIA ROCKET CORE ENGINE RD-0120 BEFORE THE LAUNCH
During the pre-launch preparation of Energia Rocket this tag was attached to the one of the element of RD-0120 rocket engine, and was removed before the launch.
The metal triangle tag size 2” x 2” x 1”.
Rare. In excellent condition. Placed in 3D display, size 3.1/2” x 3.1/2”.
RD-0120 (also designated 11D122) was the Energia core rocket engine, fueled by LH2/LOX, roughly equivalent to the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME). These were attached to the Energia core rather than the orbiter, so were not recoverable after a flight, but created a more modular design (the Energia core could be used for a variety of missions besides launching the shuttle). The RD-0120 and the SSME have both similarities and differences. The RD-0120 achieved a slightly higher Specific impulse and combustion chamber pressure with reduced complexity and cost (but it was single-use), as compared to the SSME. It uses a fuel-rich staged combustion cycle and a single shaft to drive both the fuel and oxidizer turbo pumps. Some of the Russian design features, such as the simpler and cheaper channel wall nozzles, were evaluated by Rocketdyne for possible upgrades to the SSME. It achieved combustion stability without the acoustic resonance chambers that the SSME required.