Author Topic: The future of the AJ10 (Read 35038 times)

the_roche_lobe · « **on:** 02/09/2010 05:22 am »

Delta II - going
Delta IV 'lite' - stillborn
Shuttle - going
Constellation - going/gone

Is there a future for the long running AJ10 family?
Is it even still in production?

P

Jim · « **Reply #1 on:** 02/09/2010 08:45 am »

Quote from: the_roche_lobe on 02/09/2010 05:22 am

Delta II - going
Delta IV 'lite' - stillborn
Shuttle - going
Constellation - going/gone

Is there a future for the long running AJ10 family?
Is it even still in production?

Production for Delta II ended years ago.

Downix · « **Reply #2 on:** 02/09/2010 10:14 am »

Quote from: the_roche_lobe on 02/09/2010 05:22 am

Delta II - going
Delta IV 'lite' - stillborn
Shuttle - going
Constellation - going/gone

Is there a future for the long running AJ10 family?
Is it even still in production?

P

It is still available to purchase. Its systems are such that I would not be surprised if LM, Boeing or SNC utilizes it in their crew vehicle. I know if I was looking at crew vehicle development it would be at the top of my list.

kevin-rf · « **Reply #3 on:** 02/09/2010 01:17 pm »

Quote from: Downix on 02/09/2010 10:14 am

It is still available to purchase. Its systems are such that I would not be surprised if LM, Boeing or SNC utilizes it in their crew vehicle. I know if I was looking at crew vehicle development it would be at the top of my list.

With 9 solids? Look at the January 1997 fireball... The AJ-10 on top of an Atlas or Delta-IV might make more sense.

Downix · « **Reply #4 on:** 02/10/2010 02:34 am »

Quote from: kevin-rf on 02/09/2010 01:17 pm

Quote from: Downix on 02/09/2010 10:14 am
It is still available to purchase. Its systems are such that I would not be surprised if LM, Boeing or SNC utilizes it in their crew vehicle. I know if I was looking at crew vehicle development it would be at the top of my list.

With 9 solids? Look at the January 1997 fireball... The AJ-10 on top of an Atlas or Delta-IV might make more sense.

huh??

Nick L. · « **Reply #5 on:** 02/10/2010 04:26 pm »

Quote from: kevin-rf on 02/09/2010 01:17 pm

Quote from: Downix on 02/09/2010 10:14 am
It is still available to purchase. Its systems are such that I would not be surprised if LM, Boeing or SNC utilizes it in their crew vehicle. I know if I was looking at crew vehicle development it would be at the top of my list.

With 9 solids? Look at the January 1997 fireball... The AJ-10 on top of an Atlas or Delta-IV might make more sense.

Kevin, I think he's talking about the AJ10 engine, not Delta II.

Downix · « **Reply #6 on:** 02/10/2010 04:43 pm »

Quote from: Nick L. on 02/10/2010 04:26 pm

Quote from: kevin-rf on 02/09/2010 01:17 pm
Quote from: Downix on 02/09/2010 10:14 am
It is still available to purchase. Its systems are such that I would not be surprised if LM, Boeing or SNC utilizes it in their crew vehicle. I know if I was looking at crew vehicle development it would be at the top of my list.

With 9 solids? Look at the January 1997 fireball... The AJ-10 on top of an Atlas or Delta-IV might make more sense.

Kevin, I think he's talking about the AJ10 engine, not Delta II.

That is what I took it as, hence why the "Huh?"

kevin-rf · « **Reply #7 on:** 02/10/2010 06:30 pm »

My miss read, I thought you ment you would start with the Delta II.

I agree the AJ-10 would be excellent. It has a history that dates back further than the RL-10.

Ben the Space Brit · « **Reply #8 on:** 02/10/2010 07:24 pm »

OSC are interested in having a relight-capable upper stage for Taurus-II. Aerojet have offered AJ-10. I also suspect that AJ-10 may find its way into at least one (Lockheed's) commercial crew vehicle proposal.

Downix · « **Reply #9 on:** 02/11/2010 08:05 pm »

Quote from: edkyle99 on 02/11/2010 12:58 am

Quote from: the_roche_lobe on 02/09/2010 05:22 am
Is there a future for the long running AJ10 family?
Is it even still in production?

A version of the AJ10 powers the Shuttle orbiter OMS units. This engine is being further developed to power the Orion service module.

Oh wait. There isn't going to be an Orion service module.

Never mind.

- Ed Kyle

But there will be a Dream Chaser, Boeing/Bigelow's "Orion Lite" and whatever LM is working on, all of which are prime canidates for the AJ-10.

Patchouli · « **Reply #10 on:** 02/12/2010 01:22 am »

Quote from: Downix on 02/11/2010 08:05 pm

Quote from: edkyle99 on 02/11/2010 12:58 am
Quote from: the_roche_lobe on 02/09/2010 05:22 am
Is there a future for the long running AJ10 family?
Is it even still in production?

A version of the AJ10 powers the Shuttle orbiter OMS units. This engine is being further developed to power the Orion service module.

Oh wait. There isn't going to be an Orion service module.

Never mind.

- Ed Kyle
But there will be a Dream Chaser, Boeing/Bigelow's "Orion Lite" and whatever LM is working on, all of which are prime canidates for the AJ-10.

Doesn't Dreamchaser have an OMS based off SS1/SS2's propulsion system?

But I can see the AJ10 having a future on a lunar variant of Dragon or a commercial cargo tug.

Downix · « **Reply #11 on:** 02/12/2010 01:00 pm »

Does anyone have a good manual of the AJ-10, now I am curious to see what it can do.

mmeijeri · « **Reply #12 on:** 02/12/2010 01:02 pm »

Quote from: Patchouli on 02/12/2010 01:22 am

But I can see the AJ10 having a future on a lunar variant of Dragon or a commercial cargo tug.

Wouldn't Kestrel be more likely?

Danderman · « **Reply #13 on:** 02/12/2010 03:10 pm »

Quote from: mmeijeri on 02/12/2010 01:02 pm

Quote from: Patchouli on 02/12/2010 01:22 am
But I can see the AJ10 having a future on a lunar variant of Dragon or a commercial cargo tug.

Wouldn't Kestrel be more likely?

AFAIK, Kestral is a kerolox system, not good for long term use.

mmeijeri · « **Reply #14 on:** 02/12/2010 03:15 pm »

Quote from: Danderman on 02/12/2010 03:10 pm

AFAIK, Kestral is a kerolox system, not good for long term use.

At L1/L2 and with good insulation that might not be too much of a problem. Or else with a kerosene/peroxide variant. Not that AJ-10 would not be great, but SpaceX seems to prefer to build things themselves.

Robotbeat · « **Reply #15 on:** 02/15/2010 07:59 pm »

Quote from: mmeijeri on 02/12/2010 03:15 pm

Quote from: Danderman on 02/12/2010 03:10 pm
AFAIK, Kestral is a kerolox system, not good for long term use.

At L1/L2 and with good insulation that might not be too much of a problem. Or else with a kerosene/peroxide variant. Not that AJ-10 would not be great, but SpaceX seems to prefer to build things themselves.

Only if they can't get a good enough price from outside, which happens a lot when lots of people are used to juicy fat-margin contracts.

Patchouli · « **Reply #16 on:** 02/15/2010 10:27 pm »

The AJ10 could still find use by Orbital on future versions of Cygnus.
A crewed variant could make use of a higher thrust OMS system and they too could become interested in a lunar capable vehicle.
OSC seems to prefer to not reinvent something if it can be bought off the shelf.

mmeijeri · « **Reply #17 on:** 02/16/2010 09:16 am »

AJ-10 is my favourite for near-term storable propulsion, but a kerosene/peroxide Merlin and Kestrel would be great too. If you wanted to use this for landers you might want a pump-fed version anyway. If you're going to develop a new engine, you may as well go with something non-toxic.

Vahe231991 · « **Reply #18 on:** 05/17/2021 03:37 am »

The Orion spacecraft that was first launched on December 5, 2014, relies on the AJ10 for primary propulsion. Therefore, the AJ10 is still in use even though the Delta II that used an AJ10 as the rocket motor for the second stage was retired in 2018.

Link:
https://newatlas.com/nasa-test-fire-service-module-engine/60944/
https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/orion-mpcv.htm

Jim · « **Reply #19 on:** 05/17/2021 11:47 am »

Quote from: Vahe231991 on 05/17/2021 03:37 am

The Orion spacecraft that was first launched on December 5, 2014, relies on the AJ10 for primary propulsion. Therefore, the AJ10 is still in use even though the Delta II that used an AJ10 as the rocket motor for the second stage was retired in 2018.

No, it had no active service module and hence no AJ10