Archimedes (rocket engine)

Archimedes engineCountry of origin| United States
New Zealand

|

Designer| Rocket Lab
Manufacturer| Rocket Lab
Application| First- and second-stage engine [1]
Status| In development
Liquid-fuel engine
Propellant| LOX / liquid methane[1]
Cycle| Gas-generator[1]
Configuration
Chamber| 1
Performance
Thrust, vacuum| 1,075.71 kN (241,830 lbf)[1]
1,100 kN (250,000 lbf) (Vacuum version)[1]
Thrust, sea-level| 851.42 kN (191,410 lbf)[1]
Specific impulse, vacuum| 320s+[2]
Specific impulse, sea-level| 255s+
Used in
Neutron

Archimedes is a rocket engine burning liquid oxygen and liquid methane in a gas generator combustion cycle.[2][1] It is designed by aerospace company Rocket Lab for its Neutron rocket.[1]

## Contents

* 1 History
* 2 Design
* 3 See also
* 4 References
* 5 External links

## History[edit]

Archimedes was presented on December 2, 2021 in a webcast by Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck.[2] It was presented as a fully reusable, gas generator engine using LOX and methane as propellant, a departure form the company's previous Rutherford, which is electrically pump fed. He stated that it had a thrust of 1 MN (220,000 lbf) and 320 seconds of specific impulse. The same day, the Neutron page on Rocket Lab's website was updated specifying the thrust of the seven Archimedes used on the first stage as 5,960 kN (1,340,000 lbf) at sea level and a maximum thrust of 7,530 kN (1,690,000 lbf) and the upper stage's single vacuum optimized Archimedes at 1,110 kN (250,000 lbf). It is expected to have its first hot-fire test during 2022.[3] In an interview published on CNBC website, Mr. Beck stated that Archimedes would be manufactured in New Zealand and its very simple design had "all the things you want when you have to build an engine that can be reused over and over again.”[4]

## Design[edit]

Archimedes is presented as a highly reusable liquid-propellant engine using methane and liquid oxygen in a gas generator cycle.[2][1] There are both sea-level and vacuum variants. No specifics are disclosed as to the manufacturing methods.

## See also[edit]

* Spaceflight portal

* Rocket Lab Neutron
* Rutherford (rocket engine)
* Curie (rocket engine)
* Merlin (rocket engine family)

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Neutron Rocket Lab". Rocket Lab. 2021-12-02. Archived from the original on 2021-12-02. Retrieved 2021-12-02.
2. ^ a b c d Neutron Rocket - Major Development Update (YouTube video). Rocket Lab. 2021-12-02. Retrieved 2021-12-02.
3. ^ Gebhardt, Chris (2021-12-02). "Neutron switches to methane/oxygen, 1 Meganewton Archimedes engine revealed". NASA SpaceFlight. Archived from the original on 2021-12-02. Retrieved 2021-12-02.
4. ^ Sheetz, Michael (2021-12-02). "Neutron Rocket Lab". CNBC. Archived from the original on 2021-12-02. Retrieved 2021-12-02.

## External links[edit]

* Rocket Lab Neutron Rocket

* v
* t
* e

Rocket engines and solid motors for orbital launch vehicles

* Comparison of orbital rocket engines

Liquid
fuel|

| Cryogenic|

| Hydrolox
(LH2 / LOX)|

* China
* YF-73
* YF-75
* YF-75D
* YF-77
* YF-79
* YF-90
* Europe
* HM7B
* Vinci
* Vulcain
* India
* CE-7.5
* CE-20
* Japan
* LE-5
* LE-7
* LE-9
* Russia
* KVD-1 (RD-56)
* RD-0120
* RD-0146
* USA
* BE-3U
* BE-7
* J-2
* RL10
* RS-25
* RS-68

|

Methalox
(CH4 / LOX)|

* China
* JD-1
* TQ-11
* TQ-12
* USA
* BE-4
* Raptor
* Archimedes
* Europe
* Prometheus
* Italy, with Russia
* M-10

Semi-
cryogenic|

| Kerolox
(RP-1 / LOX)|

* China
* YF-100
* YF-102
* YF-115
* YF-130
* India
* SCE-200
* Russia
* NK-15
* NK-33, 44
* RD-58
* RD-0105, 0109
* RD-0107, 0108, 0110
* RD-0110R
* RD-0124
* RD-107, 108, 117, 118
* RD-120
* RD-170, 171
* RD-180
* RD-191, 151, 181
* RD-193
* S1.5400
* Spain
* TEPREL
* Ukraine
* RD-8
* RD-801
* RD-810
* USA
* F-1
* H-1
* Kestrel
* LR-79
* LR-89
* LR-105
* LR70-NA , S-3D
* Merlin
* RS-27
* RS-27A
* RS-56
* S-3D
* Rutherford
* XLR50

|

Storable|

| Hypergolic (Aerozine,
UH 25, MMH, or UDMH
/ N2O4, MON, or HNO3)|

* China
* YF-1, 2, 3
* YF-20, 21, 22, 24, 25
* YF-23
* YF-40
* YF-50D
* Europe
* Aestus
* Astris
* Vexin
* Viking
* India
* PS4
* Vikas
* Israel
* LK-4
* North Korea
* Paektusan LRE along other LREs
* Russia
* 17D61
* RD-0202 to 0206, 0208 to 0213
* RD-0207, 0214
* RD-0216, 0217, 0235
* RD-0233, 0234
* RD-0236
* RD-0237
* RD-0243 to 0245
* RD-0255 to 0257
* RD-215 to 219
* RD-250 to 252, 261, 262
* RD-253, 275
* RD-263, 268, 273
* RD-270
* RD-854, 861
* RD-855
* RD-856
* RD-864, 869
* S5.92
* S5.98M
* Ukraine
* RD-843
* USA
* AJ10
* LR-87
* LR-91
* TR-201
* XLR81*

|

Other|

* Europe
* Gamma
* Russia
* RD-109, 119
* RD-211 to 214
* USA
* Curie
* XLR81*

Solid
fuel|

* China
* FG-02
* FG-36
* FG-46
* FG-47
* SpaB-65
* SpaB-140C
* Europe
* Mage 1
* P-4
* P-6
* PAP
* P80
* P120
* P230
* Topaze
* Waxwing
* Zefiro 9
* Zefiro 23
* Zefiro 40
* India
* S7
* S9
* S12
* S139
* S200
* Israel
* LK-1
* RSA-3
* Japan
* KM-V1
* KM-V2b
* M-14
* M-24
* M-34
* M-34c
* SRB-A
* USA
* AJ-60A
* Algol
* Castor 30
* GEM
* Orbus-6
* Orbus-21
* Orion
* Space Shuttle SRB
* Star 37
* Star 48
* UA120
* SRMU
* X-248
* X-254

* * Different versions of the engine use different propellant combinations
* Engines in italics are under development

* v
* t
* e

Rocket Lab

Personnel|

* Peter Beck (founder)

Products|

* Launch vehicles
* Electron
* Neutron
* Photon
* Rocket engines
* Curie
* Rutherford
* Archimedes

Facilities|

* Launch Complex 1 (NZ)
* Launch Complex 2 (US)

Missions|

* Electron launches

* Category
* WikiCommons

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