 SpaceX Kestrel | |
| Country of origin | United States |
|---|---|
| First flight | 2006 |
| Last flight | 2009 |
| Designer | Tom Mueller |
| Manufacturer | SpaceX |
| Application | Upper stage boost |
| Liquid-fuel engine | |
| Propellant | LOX / RP-1 |
| Cycle | Pressure fed |
| Performance | |
| Thrust, vacuum | 28 kN (2.9 tf) |
| Thrust-to-weight ratio | 65 |
| Chamber pressure | 9.3 bar (135 psi) |
| Specific impulse, vacuum | 317 seconds (3.11 km/s) |
| Dimensions | |
| Dry mass | 52 kg (115 lb) |
| References | |
| References | [1][2][3] |
The SpaceX Kestrel was an LOX/RP-1 pressure-fed rocket engine. The Kestrel engine was developed in the 2000s by SpaceX for upper stage use on the Falcon 1 rocket. Kestrel is no longer being manufactured; the last flight of Falcon 1 was in 2009.
Kestrel was built around the same pintle architecture as the SpaceX Merlin engine but does not have a turbopump and is fed only by tank pressure.
Kestrel was ablatively cooled in the chamber and throat and radiatively cooled in the nozzle, which was fabricated from a high strength niobium alloy. As a metal, niobium is highly resistant to cracking compared to carbon-carbon. According to SpaceX, an impact from orbital debris or during stage separation might dent the metal but have no meaningful effect on engine performance.[4] Helium pressurant efficiency is substantially increased via a titanium heat exchanger on the ablative/niobium boundary.[5]
Thrust vector control is provided by electro-mechanical actuators on the engine dome for pitch and yaw. Roll control (and attitude control during coast phases) is provided by helium cold gas thrusters.
A TEA-TEB pyrophoric ignition system is used to provide restart capability on the upper stage and simplify design.[6] In a multi-manifested mission, this design would allow for drop off at different altitudes and inclinations.
- ^ "Falcon 1 Users Guide" (PDF). SpaceX. 2008-09-28. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 1, 2008.
- ^ spachelaunchreport.com - falcon
- ^ astronautix Archived 2013-12-16 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Greg Zsidisin (23 March 2007). "SpaceX Confirms Stage Bump On Demoflight 2". Space Daily. Retrieved 2008-09-30.
- ^ "Falcon 1 Flight Three Press Kit" (PDF). SpaceX. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-10-01. Retrieved 2008-09-30.
- ^ "Space Exploration Technologies Corporation - Updates Archive". SpaceX. Archived from the original on 2007-11-05. Retrieved 2024-09-13.