The AJ10 is a hypergolic rocket engine manufactured by Aerojet Rocketdyne (previously Aerojet ). It has been used to propel the upper stages of several launch vehicles , including the Delta II and Titan III . Variants were and are used as the service propulsion engine for the Apollo command and service module , in the Space Shuttle Orbital Maneuvering System , and on the European Service Module – part of NASA 's Orion spacecraft .
16-694: It was first used in the Delta-A/Able second stage of the Vanguard rocket , in the AJ10-37 configuration. It was initially fueled by nitric acid and UDMH . An AJ10 engine was first fired in flight during the third Vanguard launch, on 17 March 1958, which successfully placed the Vanguard 1 satellite into orbit. The AJ10-101 engine was used on an uprated version of the Able stage, used on Atlas-Able and Thor-Able rockets. The first AJ10-101 flight, with
32-596: A Thor-Able, occurred on 23 April 1958; however, the Thor failed before the upper Able stage fired. The second flight, which saw the first in flight firing of an AJ10-101 engine, occurred on 10 July 1958. The AJ10-138 engine was originally developed for Vanguard and Able, and was flown from 1964 to 1980. Two of these engines were used in the Titan III GTO Transtage , with thrust uprated from 7,800 lbf (35 kN) to 8,000 lbf (36 kN), and with
48-450: A greater payload capacity compared to the earlier Thor-Able . It also incorporated restart capabilities, allowing a multiple-burn trajectory to be flown, further increasing payload, or allowing the rocket to reach different orbits . It was the first rocket to be developed with such a capability and development of the stage took a mere eight months. A version of the AJ10 engine used for
64-526: A higher specific impulse of 311 s (3.05 km/s). The AJ10-137 engine (20,500 lbf (91 kN) of thrust) was used in the Apollo service module 's service propulsion system from first flight in 1966. Trans-Earth injection, from lunar orbit, was the most critical usage of this engine during the Apollo program . This version used Aerozine 50 (a 1:1 mix of UDMH and hydrazine) as fuel and nitrogen tetroxide (N 2 O 4 ) as oxidizer , rather than
80-473: A higher specific impulse of 311 s (3.05 km/s). The AJ10-137 engine (20,500 lbf (91 kN) of thrust) was used in the Apollo service module 's service propulsion system from first flight in 1966. Trans-Earth injection, from lunar orbit, was the most critical usage of this engine during the Apollo program . This version used Aerozine 50 (a 1:1 mix of UDMH and hydrazine) as fuel and nitrogen tetroxide (N 2 O 4 ) as oxidizer , rather than
96-442: The AJ10-37 configuration. It was initially fueled by nitric acid and UDMH . An AJ10 engine was first fired in flight during the third Vanguard launch, on 17 March 1958, which successfully placed the Vanguard 1 satellite into orbit. The AJ10-101 engine was used on an uprated version of the Able stage, used on Atlas-Able and Thor-Able rockets. The first AJ10-101 flight, with a Thor-Able, occurred on 23 April 1958; however,
112-715: The Space Shuttle Orbital Maneuvering System (OMS) for orbital insertion, on-orbit maneuvers, and de-orbiting, first flown in 1981. They produced 26.7 kilonewtons (6,000 lb f ) of thrust with a specific impulse ( I sp ) of 316 seconds. Following the retirement of the Shuttle, these engines were repurposed for use on the Orion spacecraft's service module . This variant uses Monomethylhydrazine as fuel, with nitrogen tetroxide (N 2 O 4 ) as oxidizer. The AJ10-118K engine
128-508: The Space Shuttle Orbital Maneuvering System (OMS) for orbital insertion, on-orbit maneuvers, and de-orbiting, first flown in 1981. They produced 26.7 kilonewtons (6,000 lb f ) of thrust with a specific impulse ( I sp ) of 316 seconds. Following the retirement of the Shuttle, these engines were repurposed for use on the Orion spacecraft's service module . This variant uses Monomethylhydrazine as fuel, with nitrogen tetroxide (N 2 O 4 ) as oxidizer. The AJ10-118K engine
144-526: The Vanguard rocket used in the Vanguard project from 1957 to 1959. The rocket engine used nitric acid and UDMH as rocket propellants . The Able rocket stage was discontinued in 1960. The improved Ablestar version was used as the upper stage of the Thor-Ablestar two stage launcher. The Ablestar second stage was an enlarged version of the Able rocket stage, which gave the Thor-Ablestar
160-747: The Able rocket stage was used as the engine of Apollo Service Module . The Able stage name represents its place as the first in the series, from the Joint Army/Navy Phonetic Alphabet . To save weight Aerojet used an aluminum tube for the engine thrust chamber . The engine used on Vanguard was an AJ10 -37. On later Able models rockets the AJ10-41 and AJ10-42 engines were used. Aerojet made 21 Able rocket stages for use on launchers. The Vanguard project launched 11 Able stages. Three put satellites into orbit : Vanguard 1 , Vanguard 2 and Vanguard 3 . The Able rocket stage and
176-422: The Thor failed before the upper Able stage fired. The second flight, which saw the first in flight firing of an AJ10-101 engine, occurred on 10 July 1958. The AJ10-138 engine was originally developed for Vanguard and Able, and was flown from 1964 to 1980. Two of these engines were used in the Titan III GTO Transtage , with thrust uprated from 7,800 lbf (35 kN) to 8,000 lbf (36 kN), and with
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#1732773301000192-657: The Vanguard project were an important part of the Space Race between the US and Soviet Union . The AJ10 engines used in the Able rocket stage continue to be used on later rockets and are still in use. In honor of the rocket stage during an animals in space test, a rhesus monkey name Miss Able, flew with Miss Baker on May 28, 1959. AJ10 The AJ10 is a hypergolic rocket engine manufactured by Aerojet Rocketdyne (previously Aerojet ). It has been used to propel
208-626: The previous nitric acid/UDMH. The AJ10-118F engine produced 9,000 lbf (40 kN) of thrust and was derived from the AJ10-138 engine used on the Transtage. It was used by the Delta-F upper stage of the Delta 1000 Straight Eight series rocket, starting in 1972. This version also used Aerozine 50 as fuel and nitrogen tetroxide (N 2 O 4 ) as oxidizer. The AJ10-190 engine was used on
224-407: The previous nitric acid/UDMH. The AJ10-118F engine produced 9,000 lbf (40 kN) of thrust and was derived from the AJ10-138 engine used on the Transtage. It was used by the Delta-F upper stage of the Delta 1000 Straight Eight series rocket, starting in 1972. This version also used Aerozine 50 as fuel and nitrogen tetroxide (N 2 O 4 ) as oxidizer. The AJ10-190 engine was used on
240-536: The upper stages of several launch vehicles , including the Delta II and Titan III . Variants were and are used as the service propulsion engine for the Apollo command and service module , in the Space Shuttle Orbital Maneuvering System , and on the European Service Module – part of NASA 's Orion spacecraft . It was first used in the Delta-A/Able second stage of the Vanguard rocket , in
256-539: Was used on the Delta II rocket's upper stage, Delta-K . It used Aerozine 50 as fuel and nitrogen tetroxide (N 2 O 4 ) as oxidizer. The AJ10-118K engine variant was used from 1989 and retired at the conclusion of the ICESat-2 launch on 15 September 2018. Able (rocket stage) The Able rocket stage was a rocket stage manufactured in the United States by Aerojet as the second of three stages of
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