A propulsion company established in the US, Venus Aerospace, said on Wednesday that it had completed a short flight test from his rotating ignition rocket engine in SpacEport America in New Mexico.
The Chief Executive and co-founder of the company, Sassie Duggleby, characterized the flight as 'historical'. It is believed that it is the first American flight test of an idea that has been academically discussed for decades, a rotating inflammatory rocket engine. The concept was previously tested in a handful of other countries, but never with a high-thrust engine.
“By proving that this engine works beyond the laboratory, Venus brings the world closer to a future where hypersonic journeys – convey the world in less than two hours – possible,” Duggeby told Ars.
A fast flight
The company has only released limited information about the test. The small rocket, powered by the company's 2,000 pounds of the company, launched from a rail in New Mexico. The vehicle flew for about half a minute and, as planned, did not break the sound barrier.
Governments around the world have long been interested in rotating detonation motor technology because it can considerably increase fuel efficiency in various applications, from navy carriers to rocket engines.
In contrast to a traditional rocket motor, in which a very busy floating gas and an oxidic agent are injected into a combustion chamber where they burn and produce an energetic exhaust plume, a rotating detonation motor is different because a wave of detonation travels around a circular channel. This is supported by the injection of fuel and oxidic agent and produces a shock wave that travels outwards with a super speed.
