• Question: How do you measure the engine power of a space shuttle?

    Asked by mattiosmmm to Adam, Geoff, Rob, Sheila, Suzie on 15 Mar 2011 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Adam Tuff

      Adam Tuff answered on 14 Mar 2011:

      It’s usually measured in thrust and is measured in newtons. The engines can produce nearly two million newtons of thrust, which is huge, but is needed to assist the shuttle’s take off with the solid rockets.

    • Photo: Robert Simpson

      Robert Simpson answered on 15 Mar 2011:

      I’m not sure, but NASA says the shuttle engines are 37 million horsepower – does that help? Conjures up a great mental image 🙂

    • Photo: Sheila Kanani

      Sheila Kanani answered on 15 Mar 2011:

      Power is the ratio of work done over time, or a measure of energy conversion.
      Power is calculated by force times velocity.
      Because a shuttle launches as a rocket, you can use the thrust of a rocket to work out the power.
      Thrust equals the change in mass times the velocity.
      Thrust at zero speed is zero power. Power requires work to be done, so zero velocity indicates zero work and zero power. Therefore the power of a rocket or aircraft engine is thrust times forward speed.
      power (watts) = thrust (newtons) x speed (metres/second)
      This website explains thrust a bit more:
      http://science.howstuffworks.com/rocket2.htm

    • Photo: Suzie Sheehy

      Suzie Sheehy answered on 15 Mar 2011:

      Good question, really not my area though, perhaps Sheila knows?

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