3 Types of Rocket Engines Used for Space Travel that Undergo Aviation Borescope Inspections

Space travel almost seems like its routed in pure magic, but a ton of engineering and highly advanced parts go into to make this ‘magic’ actually possible. Whether it's manned or unmanned space crafts, each craft that goes into space represents decades of development and the best of what design and implementation amongst the human race. These space crafts are not made to last forever, most of them actually retire at a pretty low flight time, measuring in hours, because of what kinds of stresses are put on spacecraft to reach their destination, and then return.

Engines That Power the Crafts

The real hero of any craft made for space is the rocket engine. An engine made to power a spacecraft has to be the best of what mankind has to offer. These engines have to carry a massive structure beyond anything even the largest commercial airline has to undergo. Due to this, inspection is intense, frequent, and usually somewhat daunting to the operator. With the use of an aviation borescope , these extremely powerful engines can be inspected without complete teardown before and after each flight, and even while a crew is up in space on a mission.

Kinds of Engines That Require Inspection the Most

Rocket engines fall into a category of spacecraft propulsion known as reaction engines. A reaction engine achieves propulsion by expelling mass. Most rocket engines are internal combustion engines, but non-combusting forms do exist. These kinds of engines don’t need external material to operate, and they basically perform in a vacuum to propel spacecraft and the occasional ballistic missile.

When it comes to rocket engines, there are a few different types, all of which use video borescopes for inspection so they can relay information to the user for repairs, maintenance, and simply just recording data. By doing so, the operator doesn’t have to physically tear down the rocket to get a visual on the components. Here are three common types of rocket engines that are routinely inspected with an aviation borescope:

Bipropellant Rocket

This rocket works by two fluid propellants that are introduced through the use of injectors that flow into a chamber and burnt — much like a modern car engine. They are up to 99-percent efficient when it comes to combustion, with superior mixture control. These engines are throttle-able and can be used with turbopumps that permit the use of lightweight tanks. They are considered to be very safe but have a lot of plumbing involved that requires tons of inspection.

Turborocket

The turborocket engine used a combination of turbojet/rocket and an additional oxidizer, like oxygen, that’s added to the airstream to maximize altitude. They have a massive range of altitude capacities. These kinds of engines are also very heavy, and therefore require additional visual inspection of mounts and accessories.

Procooled Jet Engine/LACE

These engines are in the prototype stage and will be a huge advancement for jet rockets when they come to market. Most of the inspection happens to record lab use, performance, and changes. They take chilled intake air to low temperature at the inlet before passing through a ramjet or turbojet engine. They will be combined with a rocket engine for orbital use to increase thrust, improve weight ratios, and increase efficiency.

Related Articles

Learn more about aviation borescopes and their real-world applications

Aviation Body & Engine

Aviation maintenance is a large and crucial part of the aviation industry as aircraft and engines are in constant need of inspection, preventative maintenance, and repair in order to keep these flying machines, running, effective and safe....

Most common aircraft turbine problems are avoidable with the use of an aviation borescopes to detect problems before they become disasters!

An aviation borescope is an invaluable piece of inspection equipment that any professional aircraft owner and mechanic need to have in their toolbox. Using one of these high-tech inspection tools can help....

How is An Aviation Borescope Used in a 100-Hr Inspection?

In the aviation industry, the use of borescopes is common as this is an invaluable inspection tool, and inspections are not only needed, they are required for most aircraft. Because of this, having a high-quality and reliable aviation borescope is a must for any professional ....

6 Warning Signs to Look for When Performing an Aviation Borescope Inspection on an Aircraft Engine

Aviation borescope inspection is an important practice on any aircraft. Inspection requirements vary by craft type, and usage. For example, commercial and military aircraft are required ....

Why a Military Aircraft Needs More Aviation Borescope Inspections Than Commercial Aircrafts

In the United States Military, there are currently over 13,000 aircraft in service to help protect our country. These include everything from transport aircraft, fighter aircraft, trainer aircraft, and so much more....

3 Most Commonly Used Commercial Aircrafts that Utilize Aviation Borescopes

The inspection process of an aircraft is vital to maintaining the right performance and operation standards of any and all aircrafts. Without a proper inspection, an aircraft is likely to run with undiagnosed issues....

Commercial Airplane Wing Inspection

Airplanes involve many different parts working together to make certain it operates smoothly. Commercial airplane wings are particularly....

Landing Gear Inspections

A commercial aircraft’s landing gear consists of large, main wheels situated at the middle of the plane near the wings. There is....