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

Demonstration vehicle

will weigh 760kg and

stand 9 metres tall –

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

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