The NK-15 (GRAU index 11D51) was a rocket engine designed and built in the late 1960s by the Kuznetsov Design Bureau. The NK designation was derived from the initials of chief designer Nikolay Kuznetsov. The NK-15 was among the most powerful LOX/kerosene rocket engines when it was built, with a high specific impulse and low structural mass. It was intended for the ill-fated Soviet N-1 Moon rocket.

NK-15
Country of originSoviet Union
Date1960s
DesignerKuznetsov Design Bureau
Application1st/2nd-stage engine
SuccessorNK-33
Liquid-fuel engine
PropellantLOX / kerosene
CycleStaged combustion
PumpsTurbopump
Performance
Thrust, vacuum1,753 kN (394,000 lbf)
Thrust, sea-level1,505 kN (338,000 lbf)
Throttle range50–105%
Thrust-to-weight ratio137
Chamber pressure14.50 MPa (2,103 psi)
Specific impulse, vacuum331 seconds (3.25 km/s)
Specific impulse, sea-level297 seconds (2.91 km/s)
Dimensions
Length3.7 m (12 ft)
Diameter2 m (6 ft 7 in)
Dry mass1,247 kg (2,749 lb)

History

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The engine equipped the N1 rocket - the first two launch attempts failed due to this engine.[1] Its successor the NK-33 was to be used on the N1F, a new version of the N1, but the program was cancelled.

Versions

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  • NK-15V (GRAU index 11D52): Modified NK-15 optimized for vacuum operation, used on the N1 second stage.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Chertok, Boris E. (2011). Rockets and people (PDF). Washington, DC: NASA. p. 208,230. ISBN 978-0-16-089559-3. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
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