RL10A-3-3
Pratt & Whitney RL10A-3-3 is a cryogenic upper-stage engine used on the earlier Atlas-Centaur SLV-3C generation. The RL10 evolution table in a 1991 Pratt & Whitney presentation archived by NASA lists the A-3-3 at 15,000 lbf vacuum thrust, approximately 66.72 kN, and 442.4 s specific impulse. It is distinct from the later RL10A-3-3A.
Identity
- Aliases
- RL-10A-3-3RL10A-3-3 engine
- Domains
- spaceflight
- Identity Level
- variant
- Kind
- liquid-rocket-engine
- Name
- RL10A-3-3
- Status
- retired
Details
- Description
- Pratt & Whitney RL10A-3-3 is a cryogenic upper-stage engine used on the earlier Atlas-Centaur SLV-3C generation. The RL10 evolution table in a 1991 Pratt & Whitney presentation archived by NASA lists the A-3-3 at 15,000 lbf vacuum thrust, approximately 66.72 kN, and 442.4 s specific impulse. It is distinct from the later RL10A-3-3A.
- Developers
- Family
- Propellants
- liquid hydrogenliquid oxygen
- Rocket Specs
- Vacuum Specific Impulse
- …
- Vacuum Thrust
- …
Links
Assets & Meta
- Creation Time
- August 1, 2026 at 14:02:51 UTC
- Updated Time
- October 29, 2026 at 13:16:30 UTC
Other
- Sources
- Accessed Date
- 2026-08-01
- Note
- NASA identifies the Atlas SLV-3C/SLV-3D Centaur propulsion generation and names the RL10A-3-3 engines used on the Centaur stage.
- Publisher
- NASA Technical Reports Server
- Title
- Atlas-Centaur launch vehicle data
- Accessed Date
- 2026-08-01
- Note
- NASA documents the standardized SLV-3C Atlas-Centaur vehicle and its standard MA-5 booster generation, establishing the earlier Centaur configuration boundary.
- Publisher
- NASA Technical Reports Server
- Title
- Atlas SLV-3C launch vehicle report
- Accessed Date
- 2026-08-01
- Note
- NASA documents the RL10 derivative lineage used to distinguish the RL10A-3-3 and RL10A-3-3A variants.
- Publisher
- NASA Technical Reports Server
- Title
- Cryogenic upper stage propulsion: RL10 and derivative engines