Burning rubber – cheap, safe

rocket fuel

Norway-based aerospace company Nammo plans to conduct the first test flight in 2016 of a hybrid rocket propulsion system aimed at powering a low-cost, next-generation orbital launch system

Hybrid

rocket

motor

NORTH STAR

LAUNCH VEHICLE

Payload

10kg low-cost “nano”

satellite to 350km-high

polar low earth orbit

Hybrid

propulsion

Liquid oxidiser

reacts with solid fuel

Corona

Single hybrid “unitary”

rocket motor

Oxidiser tank

Liquid oxidiser

High-concentration

solution of hydrogen

peroxide – 85-98% – in

water. Nonflammable

and stable

Aurora

Four unitary

rocket motors

Hydrogen

Solid fuel

Borealis

Cluster of

seven rocket

motors

Oxygen

Combustion channel

HTPB solid fuel

Synthetic rubber – hydroxyl-

terminated polybutadiene –

cannot explode and is totally

safe to handle

Carbon

Hydrogen

Hybrid rocket motor is

environmentally friendly,

producing carbon monoxide,

carbon dioxide and water vapour

Burning rubber – cheap, safe rocket fuel

Norway-based aerospace company Nammo plans to conduct the first test flight in 2016 of a hybrid rocket propulsion system aimed at powering a low-cost, next-generation orbital launch system

NORTH STAR

LAUNCH VEHICLE

Payload

10kg low-cost “nano”

satellite to 350km-high

polar low earth orbit

Corona

Single hybrid “unitary”

rocket motor

Aurora

Four unitary

rocket motors

Borealis:

Cluster of

seven rocket

motors

Onno Verberne

Nammo’s technical

director

HYBRID

ROCKET

MOTOR

Hybrid propulsion

Liquid oxidiser reacts with

solid fuel

Oxidiser tank

Liquid oxidiser

High-concentration solution

of hydrogen peroxide – 85-98%

– in water

Nonflammable and stable

Solid fuel

Hydrogen

Oxygen

Combustion channel

HTPB solid fuel

Synthetic rubber – hydroxyl-

terminated polybutadiene –

cannot explode and is totally safe

to handle

Carbon

Hydrogen

Hybrid rocket motor is

environmentally friendly,

producing carbon monoxide,

carbon dioxide and water vapour

Sources: Nammo Raufoss AS,

Andoya Rocket Range, FORNY2020

© GRAPHIC NEWS

Burning rubber – cheap, safe rocket fuel

Norway-based aerospace company Nammo plans to conduct the first test flight in 2016 of a hybrid rocket propulsion system aimed at powering a low-cost, next-generation orbital launch system

NORTH STAR LAUNCH

VEHICLE

Payload

10kg low-cost

“nano” satellite to

low earth orbit

Corona

Single rocket

motor

Aurora

Four rocket

motors

Borealis

Cluster

of seven

rocket

motors

Onno Verberne

Nammo’s

technical

director

HYBRID

ROCKET

MOTOR

Hybrid propulsion

Liquid oxidiser

reacts with

solid fuel

Oxidiser tank

Liquid oxidiser

High-concentration

solution of hydrogen

peroxide

Nonflammable

and stable

Hydrogen

Oxygen

Solid fuel

HTPB solid fuel

Synthetic rubber –

hydroxyl-terminated

polybutadiene –

cannot explode and

is totally safe to

handle

Carbon

Hydrogen

Hybrid rocket motor is

environmentally friendly,

producing carbon dioxide

and water vapour

Sources: Nammo Raufoss AS,

Andoya Rocket Range

© GRAPHIC NEWS