Space Propulsion Group
Encyclopedia
Space Propulsion Group is an aerospace company founded in 1999 by Dr. Arif Karabeyoglu, Prof. Brian Cantwell and others from Stanford University
to develop high regression-rate liquefying hybrid rocket
fuels and motors. They have successfully fired motors as large as 12.5 in. diameter which produce 13,000 lbf. using the technology and are currently developing a 24 in. diameter, 25,000 lbf. motor to be initially fired in 2010.
The company is working together with NASA
to develop the motors for NASA's Peregrine sounding rocket. As of 2008, the development was proceeding on schedule (aside from an 8 month delay for safety review after the 2007 Scaled Composites explosion), aiming for first flight in late 2009.
Much of the company research is in the area of liquid surface melt on the surface of the solid fuel grain. They have experimented with solid fuels that exhibit these properties, such as paraffin wax and polyethylene
wax. The company has also developed a new oxidizer, Nytrox, that consists of mixtures of nitrous oxide
and oxygen
.
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
to develop high regression-rate liquefying hybrid rocket
Hybrid rocket
A hybrid rocket is a rocket with a rocket motor which uses propellants in two different states of matter - one solid and the other either gas or liquid. The Hybrid rocket concept can be traced back at least 75 years....
fuels and motors. They have successfully fired motors as large as 12.5 in. diameter which produce 13,000 lbf. using the technology and are currently developing a 24 in. diameter, 25,000 lbf. motor to be initially fired in 2010.
The company is working together with NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
to develop the motors for NASA's Peregrine sounding rocket. As of 2008, the development was proceeding on schedule (aside from an 8 month delay for safety review after the 2007 Scaled Composites explosion), aiming for first flight in late 2009.
Much of the company research is in the area of liquid surface melt on the surface of the solid fuel grain. They have experimented with solid fuels that exhibit these properties, such as paraffin wax and polyethylene
Polyethylene
Polyethylene or polythene is the most widely used plastic, with an annual production of approximately 80 million metric tons...
wax. The company has also developed a new oxidizer, Nytrox, that consists of mixtures of nitrous oxide
Nitrous oxide
Nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas or sweet air, is a chemical compound with the formula . It is an oxide of nitrogen. At room temperature, it is a colorless non-flammable gas, with a slightly sweet odor and taste. It is used in surgery and dentistry for its anesthetic and analgesic...
and oxygen
Oxygen
Oxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γενής , because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition...
.