I am gayn't

Rocket engineering is not simple

aero-spike program attempted to design a varaible nozzle

aero-spike wasnt that great in the end tho

limited success

again

They actually did

is the efficiency for different pressure levels

just a nozzle configuration issue?

It was just too expensive because it needed fancy and expensive new materials

Hrmm.. debating on which game to play on the flight.. KSP is calling me again...

mainly; but the shape of the nozzle effects the fuel deliver method

@Laucivol wait for the sequel

if you go back into KSP, you'll get bored from having nothing to do... again

Exactly what I was sayin'..

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8c/Twin_Linear_Aerospike_XRS-2200_Engine_PLW_edit.jpg/1280px-Twin_Linear_Aerospike_XRS-2200_Engine_PLW_edit.jpg

Except I enjoy the rocketry of it..

And setting up refueling rings..

And getting to the Mars-analog.

The benefit of this wedgy boi nozzle was that it had much easier time being cooled

PV = nRT

Classic

Also because of venturi effect it could be thrust-vectored without any moving parts

Musk said aerospike wasn't effective in the end

yup, that was another added benefit

It had issues, yes

It is more fuel-hungry compared to normal engine

```“So you have your combustion efficiency and what percentage of max theoretical combustion you are and then what your nozzle efficiency is, which is really are you straightening the flow, shooting the molecules out in a straight line, so you go into the other direction.

“With a traditional combustion chamber, you can get to very high combustion efficiency, cause the molecules are bouncing around have got time to combine and do their thing.

“Then when you sort of choke it through the throat, it gives them more opportunity to combine.”```

aerospike could get a craft to orbit but not cost effectively

apparently

aerospike has low combustion efficiency

well, it's a trade-off; efficency at what pressure?

@Coolitic it could have been solved with pre-combustion chambers, but the project was axed before they could try that

https://twitter.com/TheAtlantic/status/1036312814657384450?s=20

you can optimize seperate nozzles for different stages of ascent but a single nozzle will always be less efficient over the entire range

Unless it is a flexy nozzle like they make them on the planes

maybe aerospike will be more useful for very light payloads?

yeah, that's what skylon is working on

A nozzle that can do the anal reflex