Introducing rocket motor turbopumps

The space turbopump brings with it the ability to target very high power levels, while keeping the motor assembly compact. These machines are capable of delivering enormous amounts of energy to working fluids, enabling otherwise unattainable thrust-to-weight ratios to be targeted.

The main function of turbomachinery for space applications can be summed up quite simply: to provide the right pressure/flow ratio for propellants, which are then channeled to combustion units.

In terms of primary propulsive application, i.e. the thrust generation that enables a rocket either to take off (first-stage engines) or to give the vehicle the right orbital parameters (upper-stage engines), the presence of a turbopump has an immediate impact on propulsive performance.

Considering the first-order thrust equation :