Jan. 14, 2009

Ashley Edwards, Grey Hautaluoma
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1756/0668
ashley.edwards1-{at}nasa.gov
grey.hautaluoma-1{at}nasa.gov

Jennifer Morcone
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
256-544-0034
jennifer.j.morcone{at}nasa.gov

Katherine K. Martin
Glenn Research Center, Cleveland
216-433-2406
katherine.k.martin{at}nasa.gov

RELEASE: 09-005

NASA TESTS ENGINE TECHNOLOGY FOR LANDING ASTRONAUTS ON THE MOON

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- A technology development engine that may help
NASA
safely return astronauts to the lunar surface has successfully
completed its third round of testing. The goal of these tests is to
reduce risk and advance technology for a reliable and robust rocket
engine that could enable America's next moon landing.

The tests by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne in West Palm Beach, Fla.,
helped gather data on this concept engine that might play a role in
the next stage of human exploration of the moon. Most rockets make
spacecraft travel faster. The goal of a lunar lander descent engine
is to slow the vehicle so astronauts can land safely.

The Common Extensible Cryogenic Engine, or CECE, is a deep-throttling
engine, which means it has the flexibility to reduce thrust from 100
percent down to 10 percent -- allowing a spacecraft to gently land on
the lunar surface. The 13,800-pound thrust engine uses extremely cold
liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen as propellants.

During the test, the engine was successfully throttled from a high of
a 104 percent of the engine's potential down to eight percent, a
record for an engine of this type. A cryogenic engine is needed to
provide high performance and put more payload on the surface of the
moon. The CECE demonstrator has evaluated two engine configurations
during three rounds of hot-fire testing.

"The first test series in 2006 was a challenge but showed promise,"
said Tony Kim, Deep Throttling Engine project manager at NASA's
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala. "Testing in 2007
provided an in-depth examination of low-power-level throttling and
engine performance characteristics. This third cycle we actively
addressed and found solutions to the challenges we faced."

The team carefully assessed test results that showed pressure
oscillations in the engine at lower throttle levels called
"chugging." Chugging may not be a concern for the engine itself, but
the resulting vibrations could have the potential to resonate with
the structure of the rocket and cause problems for the lander or
crew.

Injector and propellant feed system modifications successfully
eliminated engine chugging by controlling liquid hydrogen and liquid
oxygen flow to the combustion chamber. The latest engine
configuration incorporates a new injector design and propellant feed
system that carefully manages the pressure, temperature and flow of
propellants.

"The technology developed from this effort will help engineers
successfully design future cryogenic engines to meet the throttling
requirements of the Constellation Program's Altair lunar lander," Kim
said.

The CECE is based on the existing Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne RL10
upper stage rocket engine. Previous first-hand flight experience, as
well as this data, will allow engineers to develop simulation models
that can focus testing for efficiency and effectiveness.

The CECE collaboration includes engineers from Marshall, NASA's Glenn
Research Center in Cleveland, and Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne. NASA
has invested in CECE technology since 2005 as part of the Propulsion
and Cryogenics Advanced Development project at Glenn. The project is
funded by the Exploration Technology Development Program in NASA's
Exploration Systems Mission Directorate.

For more information about the CECE, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/constellation/news/cece.html

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