RS-25

High school (ages 12+)
Transportation

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/rs-25

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the engine designation?RS-25 (formerly SSME)
2. What is the manufacturer?Rocketdyne (now Aerojet Rocketdyne)
3. What is the RS-25 engine and why is it special?The RS-25 is a powerful rocket engine that helped launch the Space Shuttle and now powers the new SLS rocket. It can be reused many times and can throttle its power to help control the launch.
4. How does the RS-25 make the spaceship go up?It burns liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen in a special staged‑combustion cycle. The hot gas from a small preburner drives turbines and then mixes with the rest of the fuel to create a huge thrust.

Staged Combustion Cycle: A rocket engine design that uses preburners to generate hot gas to drive turbopumps before full combustion, enhancing efficiency and pressure.
Cryogenic Propellants: Propellants, such as liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, that must be stored at extremely low temperatures to remain in a liquid state.
Turbopumps: High-speed pumps driven by turbines, used to deliver propellants to the combustion chamber at very high pressures.
Reusability: The capability of a component or system, like a rocket engine, to be used multiple times for different missions.