NK-15

NK-15
Country of origin	Soviet Union
Date	1960s
Designer	Kuznetsov Design Bureau
Application	1st/2nd-stage engine
Successor	NK-33
Liquid-fuel engine
Propellant	LOX / kerosene
Cycle	Staged combustion
Pumps	Turbopump
Performance
Thrust, vacuum	1,753 kN (394,000 lbf)
Thrust, sea-level	1,505 kN (338,000 lbf)
Throttle range	50–105%
Thrust-to-weight ratio	137
Chamber pressure	14.50 MPa (2,103 psi)
Specific impulse, vacuum	331 seconds (3.25 km/s)
Specific impulse, sea-level	297 seconds (2.91 km/s)
Dimensions
Length	3.7 m (12 ft)
Diameter	2 m (6 ft 7 in)
Dry weight	1,247 kg (2,749 lb)

The NK-15 (GRAU index 11D51) was a rocket engine designed and built in the late 1960s by the Kuznetsov Design Bureau. The NK designation was derived from the initials of chief designer Nikolay Kuznetsov. The NK-15 was among the most powerful LOX/kerosene rocket engines when it was built, with a high specific impulse and low structural mass. It was intended for the ill-fated Soviet N-1 Moon rocket.