The NK-15 (GRAU index 11D51) was a rocket engine designed and built in the late 1960s by the Kuznetsov Design Bureau. The NK designation was derived from the initials of chief designer Nikolay Kuznetsov. The NK-15 was among the most powerful LOX/kerosene rocket engines when it was built, with a high specific impulse and low structural mass. It was intended for the ill-fated Soviet N-1 Moon rocket.
| Country of origin | Soviet Union |
|---|---|
| Date | 1960s |
| Designer | Kuznetsov Design Bureau |
| Application | 1st/2nd-stage engine |
| Successor | NK-33 |
| Liquid-fuel engine | |
| Propellant | LOX / kerosene |
| Cycle | Staged combustion |
| Pumps | Turbopump |
| Performance | |
| Thrust, vacuum | 1,753 kN (394,000 lbf) |
| Thrust, sea-level | 1,505 kN (338,000 lbf) |
| Throttle range | 50–105% |
| Thrust-to-weight ratio | 137 |
| Chamber pressure | 14.50 MPa (2,103 psi) |
| Specific impulse, vacuum | 331 seconds (3.25 km/s) |
| Specific impulse, sea-level | 297 seconds (2.91 km/s) |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 3.7 m (12 ft) |
| Diameter | 2 m (6 ft 7 in) |
| Dry mass | 1,247 kg (2,749 lb) |
History
editThe engine equipped the N1 rocket - the first two launch attempts failed due to this engine.[1] Its successor the NK-33 was to be used on the N1F, a new version of the N1, but the program was cancelled.
Versions
edit- NK-15V (GRAU index 11D52): Modified NK-15 optimized for vacuum operation, used on the N1 second stage.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Chertok, Boris E. (2011). Rockets and people (PDF). Washington, DC: NASA. p. 208,230. ISBN 978-0-16-089559-3. Retrieved 9 August 2021.