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Artist rendering of the RS-84 engine

BEP
NASA's Booster Engine Prototype (BEP) effort seeks to deliver a large-scale, prototype liquid-oxygen/kerosene engine system that will enable development of full-scale, flight-ready engines for a next generation reusable booster.

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IPD
The Integrated Powerhead Demonstrator (IPD) project — which seeks to double the capability of booster engines providing access to space is contributing new engine technologies for NGLT and Department of Defense propulsion research.

X-43A vehicle

X-43A
The first demonstrator vehicle in NASA's "Hyper-X" series of experimental hypersonic ground and flight test vehicles, the X-43A will demonstrate "air-breathing" engine technologies for future hypersonic aircraft and/or reusable space launch vehicles, achieving speeds above Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound.

Artist rendering of an air-breathing hypersonic flight demonstrator

TBCC/RTA
The Turbine-Based Combined Cycle (TBCC) engine project seeks to deliver a Mach 4+ hypersonic propulsion system in this decade. Prime among its enabling technologies: the Revolutionary Turbine Accelerator (RTA), intended to demonstrate high mach turbine and TBCC propulsion for space access.

RBCC/ ISTAR
NASA is developing a Rocket-Based Combined Cycle (RBCC) engine system for ground demonstration in this decade. The Integrated System Test of an Air-breathing Rocket (ISTAR) project is NASA's first flight-type system development and ground test of an RBCC propulsion system.

 

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Astronaut C. Michael Foale floats in galley of the Space Station.
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Space chores


Marshall Headlines

NASA, Air Force team achieves key milestones on next-generation engine

Marshall's James Smith catches one of solar system's biggest shows

 

 


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Artist rendering of an air-breathing hypersonic flight demonstratorTBCC/RTA
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The Turbine-Based Combined Cycle (TBCC) engine project seeks to deliver a Mach 4+ hypersonic propulsion system in this decade. Prime among its enabling technologies: the Revolutionary Turbine Accelerator (RTA), intended to demonstrate high mach turbine performance and durability for space access.

The Next Generation Launch Technology program has tasked NASA's Glenn Research Center to lead high-Mach turbine propulsion development projects, including the TBCC/RTA effort. Glenn Research Center has formulated the Revolutionary Turbine Accelerator project to develop and demonstrate TBCC-based propulsion for space access. Project participants include industry, academia, the U.S. Department of Defense and several NASA centers.

For more information, visit the NASA Glenn Research Center's TBCC Web site.


Hypersonic vehicle fact sheet
Hypersonic vehicles artist concepts

RTA-1 engine artist concept
TBCC animations

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