aerospike engine

The aerospike engine is a type of rocket engine that maintains its aerodynamic efficiency across a wide range of altitudes. It belongs to the class of altitude compensating nozzle engines. Aerospike engines were proposed for many single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) designs. They were a contender for the Space Shuttle main engine. However, as of 2023 no such engine was in commercial production, although some large-scale aerospikes were in testing phases.

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Wikimedia, Wikidata
rocket engine, 
rocket engine, RS-2200, XRS-2200, 

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Location: KML, Cluster Map, Maps,

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  RS-2200 ⓘ
  cancelled experimental aerospike engine

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  XRS-2200 ⓘ
  aerospike rocket engine by Rocketdyne

Frameless

Aerospike close-up

Test Firing of Linear Aerospike Engine - GPN-2000-000066

Linear Aerospike SR-71 Experiment (LASRE) ground cold flow test. NASA Photo

Non-truncated toroidal aerospike nozzle

Dryden Aerospike Rocket Test (4858567714)

Launch of the first Dryden Aerospike rocket. The Dryden Aerospike Rocket Test provided the first known data from a solid-fueled aerospike rocket in flight.

Chuck Rogers, Trong Bui, and Scott Bartel make preflight checks on the second of two aerospike research rockets on March 31, 2004.

Trong Bui, NASA Dryden's principal investigator for the aerospike rocket tests, holds the first of two 10-ft. long rockets that were flown at speeds up to Mach 1.5, the first known supersonic tests of rockets with aerospike nozzles.

Type	Subtype	Date	Description	Notes	Source
class	rocket engine		RS-2200	aerospike engine	Wikidata
class	rocket engine		XRS-2200	aerospike engine	Wikidata
commons	image		Aerospike close-up		Commons
commons	image		Test Firing of Linear Aerospike Engine - GPN-2000-000066		Commons
commons	image		Linear Aerospike SR-71 Experiment (LASRE) ground cold flow test. NASA Photo		Commons
commons	image		Non-truncated toroidal aerospike nozzle		Commons
commons	image		Dryden Aerospike Rocket Test (4858567714)		Commons
commons	image		Launch of the first Dryden Aerospike rocket. The Dryden Aerospike Rocket Test provided the first known data from a solid-fueled aerospike rocket in flight.		Commons
commons	image		Chuck Rogers, Trong Bui, and Scott Bartel make preflight checks on the second of two aerospike research rockets on March 31, 2004.		Commons
commons	image		Trong Bui, NASA Dryden's principal investigator for the aerospike rocket tests, holds the first of two 10-ft. long rockets that were flown at speeds up to Mach 1.5, the first known supersonic tests of rockets with aerospike nozzles.		Commons