Rocketdyne S-3D

The Rocketdyne S-3D (Air Force designation LR79)^[1][2] is an American liquid rocket engine produced by Rocketdyne (a division of North American Aviation) between 1956 and 1961. It was a gas generator, pump-fed engine, using a liquid oxygen (LOX) and RP-1 (kerosene) propellant combination, capable of producing 134,908 pounds of thrust (600.1 kN) at sea level.^[3]

S-3D

S-3D engine at the National Air and Space Museum
Country of origin	United States
Manufacturer	Rocketdyne
Application	Booster
Successor	H-1
Status	Retired
Liquid-fuel engine
Propellant	LOX / RP-1
Cycle	Gas Generator
Configuration
Chamber	1
Performance
Thrust, sea-level	134908 lbf (600.1 kN)
Specific impulse, sea-level	247 seconds (2.42 km/s)
Used in
PGM-19 Jupiter, PGM-17 Thor, Juno II, Saturn A-2

The S-3 was based on the Redstone engine,^[4] and is part of the LR79 family,^[5][6][1][2] used on the PGM-19 Jupiter and PGM-17 Thor missiles,^[7][4][8] and on the Juno II rocket.^{[3][9][10][11]} Other members of the LR79 engine family include: XLR71-NA-1, B-2C, XLR83-NA-1, LR79-7, S-3D, XLR89-1, MB-3-1, X-1, LR83-NA-1, H-1, LR89-5, XLR89-5, S-3, LR89-7, MB-3-J, MB-3, MB-3-3, RZ.2, H-1c, H-1b, RS-27, RS-27A R, RS-56-OBA and RS-27C.^[5]

A second stage with four S-3 engines was considered for the Saturn A-2 study.^[12]

Simplification of the S-3D engine, via the unillustrated X-1, to the Saturn I's H-1

Its design was used later as the basis for the H-1 rocket engine of the Saturn I,^[13][1][7] and the Rolls-Royce RZ.2 of the Blue Streak.

Specifications

Rocketdyne S-3D:^[3]

• First flight: 1957
• Vehicles: PGM-19 Jupiter
• Thrust: 600.1 kN (134908 lbf).
• Specific impulse: 282 s.
• Burn time: 247 s.

Rocketdyne S-3: ^[14]

• First flight: 1958
• Vehicles: Juno II, Saturn A-2^[12]
• Thrust: 667.2 kN (149993 lbf).
• Specific impulse: 282 s.
• Burn time: 182 s.
• Diameter: 2.67 m (8.75 ft).
• Dry mass: 725 kg (1,598 lb)