The RS-27 was a liquid-propellant rocket engine developed in 1974 by Rocketdyne to replace the aging MB-3 in the Delta. Incorporating components of the venerable MB-3 and the H-1 designs, the RS-27 was a modernized version of the basic design used for two decades. It was used to power the first stage of the Delta 2000, 3000, 5000, and the first model of the Delta II, the Delta 6000.

It has been suggested that RS-27A be merged into this article. (Discuss) Proposed since June 2024.

Quick Facts Country of origin, Date ...

RS-27

First stage of a Delta II rocket, including an RS-27
Country of origin	United States
Date	1974
Designer	Rocketdyne
Manufacturer	Rocketdyne
Application	Booster
Predecessor	H-1
Successor	RS-27A, RS-56
Status	Retired
Liquid-fuel engine
Propellant	LOX / RP-1
Cycle	Gas Generator
Configuration
Chamber	1
Performance
Thrust, vacuum	1,023 kN (230,000 lbf)
Thrust, sea-level	971 kN (218,000 lbf)
Chamber pressure	4.9 MPa (49 bar)
Specific impulse, vacuum	295 seconds (2.89 km/s)
Specific impulse, sea-level	264 seconds (2.59 km/s)
Burn time	274 Sec
Dimensions
Length	3.63 m (11.9 ft)
Diameter	1.07 m (3.51 ft)
Dry weight	1,027 kg (2,264 lb)
Used in
Delta 2000, 3000, 5000, 6000, first stage[1]

Close

The RS-27 was a modified Rocketdyne H-1 built to power the first stage of the Saturn I and Saturn IB and replaced the MB-3 engine that had been used on previous versions of the Delta launcher. NASA had a large supply of surplus H-1 engines in the early 1970s, as the Apollo program was ending.^[2][3] In addition to its main engine, the RS-27 included two vernier engines to provide vehicle roll control during flight.^[4] RS-27 was later developed into the RS-27A and RS-56.^[5][6]