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During the spring of 1963, Grumman hired Bell to develop the lunar module ascent engine, on the assumption that Bell's experience in development of the Air Force Agena engine would be transferable to the lunar module requirements. Grumman placed heavy emphasis upon high reliability through simplicity
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The engine developed about 3,500 pounds-force (16 kN) of thrust, which produced a velocity of 2,000 meters per second from lunar launch, to LOR, and CM docking. It weighed 180 pounds (82 kg), with a length of 47 inches (120 cm) and diameter of 34 inches (86 cm).
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Embodying a pressure-fed fuel system using hypergolic (self-igniting) propellants, the ascent engine was fixed-thrust and nongimbaled, capable of lifting the ascent stage off the Moon or aborting a landing if necessary.
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A total of 365 Agena rockets were launched by NASA and the U.S. Air Force between
February 28, 1959, and the last Agena D launched on 12 February 1987, configured as the upper stage of a
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of design, and the ascent engine emerged as the least complicated of the three main engines in the Apollo space vehicle, including the LM descent and
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provided the injector system, at the request of NASA, when Bell could not solve combustion instability problems.
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Brooks, Courtney G.; Grimwood, James M.; Swenson, Loyd S. (September 20, 2007). "Engines, Large and Small".
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program. The Agena served as an upper stage for several defense, intelligence, and exploration programs:
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Bartlett, W.; Kirkland, Z. D.; Polifka, R. W.; Smithson, J. C.; Spencer, G. L. (February 7, 1966).
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Rocketdyne brought the lunar module ascent engine out of its 36-year retirement in 2008 for NASA's
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The LMAE traces its origin to the earlier Bell
Aerosystems engines (8096, 8247) used in the
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NASA Technical Note: Apollo
Experience Report – Descent Propulsion System. March 1973
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Neufeld, Jacob; Watson, Jr., George M.; Chenoweth, David, eds. (1997).
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using the Bell 8247 engine was qualified for 15 restarts for NASA's
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420:(Missile Defense Alarm System) military early-warning satellites,
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Chariots for Apollo: A History of Manned Lunar
Spacecraft
616:"Technology and the Air Force A Retrospective Assessment"
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31 pages, much detail on both designs, and the testing.
874:
Apollo Lunar Module
Propulsion Systems Overview, NASA
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Apollo spacecraft liquid primary propulsion systems
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1061:Primary guidance, navigation, and control system
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722:Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles
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1179:Charged Particle Lunar Environment Experiment
894:
856:National Aeronautics and Space Administration
636:
1667:Rocket engines using the pressure-fed cycle
908:
819:"Heritage lunar engine fired up once again"
680:Agena Flight History as of 31 December 1967
513:(ESAS) engine testing, re-designated it as
1652:Rocket engines using hypergolic propellant
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793:The Big Book of Warfare... and other stuff
38:
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1159:Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package
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517:, and reconfigured the non-throttleable
484:
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494:Lunar ascent by Apollo 17 ascent stage.
14:
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1184:Lunar Ejecta and Meteorites Experiment
829:from the original on December 19, 2008
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715:
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511:Exploration Systems Architecture Study
1356:
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716:Parsch, Andreas (February 27, 2003).
632:from the original on October 7, 2012.
623:Air Force History and Museums Program
1231:Suprathermal Ion Detector Experiment
1174:Apollo 14 Passive Seismic Experiment
1169:Apollo 12 Passive Seismic Experiment
562:from the original on August 23, 2022
424:photo intelligence program, and the
786:
740:
644:Lockheed Missiles and Space Company
574:
474:service propulsion system engines.
404:initially for the canceled WS-117L
24:
1201:Lunar Seismic Profiling Experiment
1189:Solar Wind Spectrometer Experiment
854:from websites or documents of the
666:from the original on May 18, 2023.
25:
1678:
1154:Solar Wind Composition Experiment
861:
789:"LM Ascent Engine Specifications"
728:from the original on June 5, 2023
686:(Technical report). Vol. 1.
655:(Technical report). Vol. 1.
547:(Technical report). Houston, TX:
27:Apollo Lunar Module rocket engine
1557:
1344:Category:Apollo program hardware
1339:
1338:
850: This article incorporates
845:
972:Launch Vehicle Digital Computer
677:Grassly, Sarah A. (June 1969).
498:
215:3,500 pounds-force (16 kN)
1262:Lunar Landing Research Vehicle
1142:Lunar Laser Ranging experiment
1112:Thermal Micrometeoroid Garment
823:Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne
464:
33:Ascent propulsion system (APS)
13:
1:
1383:Spacecraft engines and motors
1221:Cold Cathode Gauge Experiment
1196:Modular Equipment Transporter
524:
1321:Rendezvous Docking Simulator
1132:Portable Life Support System
1041:Apollo Abort Guidance System
837:– via Spaceflight Now.
247:311 seconds (3.05 km/s)
7:
1300:Apollo 11 goodwill messages
521:engine to use LOX/methane.
10:
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1267:Mobile quarantine facility
1211:Lunar Surface Magnetometer
555:. pp. 8–9. 70N35721.
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333:lunar module ascent engine
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1216:Lunar Traverse Gravimeter
1164:Active Seismic Experiment
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1076:Descent propulsion system
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764:. SP-4205. Archived from
688:Air Force Systems Command
589:Encyclopedia Astronautica
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1081:Ascent propulsion system
1056:Lunar Sounder Experiment
1051:Apollo Guidance Computer
1046:Apollo Docking Mechanism
553:Manned Spacecraft Center
406:reconnaissance satellite
325:ascent propulsion system
18:Ascent Propulsion System
1657:Apollo program hardware
1567:Solid propellant motors
1147:list of retroreflectors
910:Apollo program hardware
292:210 pounds (95 kg)
276:51 inches (130 cm)
263:Designed for 2 restarts
44:Apollo LM ascent engine
1252:Launch Umbilical Tower
1066:Apollo Telescope Mount
852:public domain material
718:"Lockheed RM-81 Agena"
585:"LM Ascent Propulsion"
495:
461:
357:ascent stage. It used
284:31 inches (79 cm)
225:16.7 (weight on Earth)
221:Thrust-to-weight ratio
1662:Spacecraft propulsion
1611:Spacecraft propulsion
1007:Apollo service module
993:Apollo command module
825:. September 2, 2008.
697:on September 16, 2012
646:(February 25, 1972).
493:
456:
1631:Liquid apogee engine
1316:Lunar escape systems
1226:Heat Flow Experiment
1137:Lunar Roving Vehicle
595:on November 17, 2002
437:Agena target vehicle
416:(ELINT Ferret) and
1288:Lunar Flag Assembly
1257:Crawler-transporter
1012:Apollo Lunar Module
649:Shuttle/Agena Study
355:Apollo Lunar Module
85:Lunar Ascent Stage/
34:
799:on January 5, 2020
768:on October 5, 2015
496:
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121:Liquid-fuel engine
32:
1639:
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1626:Apogee kick motor
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1102:Apollo/Skylab A7L
821:(Press release).
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50:Country of origin
16:(Redirected from
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1604:Related articles
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1294:Fallen Astronaut
1086:Scimitar antenna
1071:Apollo TV camera
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795:. Archived from
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831:. Retrieved
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766:the original
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692:the original
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322:
303:Lunar module
199:Nozzle ratio
172:Pressure-fed
68:Manufacturer
29:
1390:Liquid fuel
1327:Moon Museum
1095:Space suits
465:Development
398:RM-81 Agena
359:Aerozine 50
255:465 seconds
207:Performance
154:Aerozine 50
94:Predecessor
82:Application
1646:Categories
1616:Spacecraft
1539:SuperDraco
1276:Ceremonial
1107:Beta cloth
1034:components
1032:Spacecraft
981:Spacecraft
962:J-2 engine
957:F-1 engine
950:components
566:August 23,
525:References
519:hypergolic
386:Rocketdyne
384:oxidizer.
361:fuel, and
344:hypergolic
315:References
310:References
268:Dimensions
127:Propellant
89:propulsion
87:Spacecraft
76:Rocketdyne
1621:Satellite
1596:SpaB-140C
1125:equipment
934:Saturn IB
458:Apollo 17
448:Titan 34B
252:Burn time
102:Successor
97:Bell 8247
1484:KTDU-425
999:Columbia
939:Saturn V
929:Saturn I
827:Archived
762:79001042
726:Archived
661:Archived
627:Archived
557:Archived
402:Lockheed
289:Dry mass
281:Diameter
260:Restarts
244:, vacuum
236:120 psia
232:pressure
230:Chamber
1593:SpaB-65
1579:Star 48
1574:Star 37
1456:KTDU-80
1437:KTDU-35
1424:KDU-414
1392:engines
1309:Related
988:Apollo
803:July 4,
772:June 7,
732:June 6,
701:June 7,
599:June 7,
414:SAMOS-F
410:SAMOS-E
392:Origins
297:Used in
191:Chamber
115:Retired
63:1964–72
1544:TR-201
1477:S5.142
1464:11D428
1460:11D426
1431:S5.114
760:
426:Ranger
422:Corona
341:thrust
273:Length
112:Status
1589:FG-36
1584:FG-15
1549:XLR81
1534:S5.92
1519:RS-25
1513:11D58
1509:RD-58
1489:LEROS
1472:S5.80
1468:S5.79
1450:S5-66
1447:S5-60
1444:S5.53
1441:S5-35
1428:S5.19
1419:Draco
1414:Curie
1399:17D61
1018:Eagle
695:(PDF)
684:(PDF)
664:(PDF)
653:(PDF)
630:(PDF)
619:(PDF)
560:(PDF)
545:(PDF)
515:RS-18
505:RS-18
418:MIDAS
331:) or
178:Pumps
168:Cycle
106:RS-18
1529:S5.4
1524:S400
1504:R-4D
1499:LMDE
1494:LMAE
1409:BT-4
1404:AJ10
835:2023
805:2012
774:2012
758:LCCN
734:2012
703:2012
657:NASA
601:2012
568:2022
549:NASA
428:and
337:LMAE
323:The
181:None
60:Date
472:CSM
329:APS
163:1.6
1648::
858:.
791:.
756:.
742:^
724:.
720:.
625:.
621:.
587:.
576:^
551:,
450:.
443:.
412:,
202:46
152:/
74:/
1376:e
1369:t
1362:v
902:e
895:t
888:v
807:.
776:.
736:.
705:.
603:.
570:.
378:4
373:O
369:2
364:N
335:(
327:(
194:1
146:4
141:O
137:2
132:N
20:)
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