Astrobotic Breaks Records with Rotating-Detonation Rocket Engine at NASA Marshall
Key Milestone: Two engine prototypes fired for a combined 470 seconds, including a single 300-second burn, with no evidence of damage.
Astrobotic, a lunar lander and suborbital rocket developer, conducted a series of tests of its rotating-detonation rocket engine (RDRE), Chakram, at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. The company announced the results on April 23.
A Record-Breaking Test Campaign
The testing campaign marked a significant step forward for RDRE technology. Two engine prototypes were fired for a combined 470 seconds, including a single continuous burn lasting 300 seconds—the longest ever for such an engine.
Critically, post-test inspections revealed no evidence of damage to the engines during the firings. The engines produced more than 4,000 pounds-force of thrust, which Astrobotic believes is among the highest thrust levels ever tested for an RDRE.
How RDRE Technology Works
RDRE technology uses a supersonic detonation wave traveling in a circle inside the engine. This approach offers potential improvements in specific impulse and thrust-to-weight ratio compared to conventional engines.
The Challenge: Control challenges have historically limited flight experience with rotating-detonation engines.
"Flawless" Performance from the Team
- Bryant Avalos, principal investigator for Chakram: "The engine performed even better than expected."
- Travis Vazansky, RDRE program manager: "Seeing the engine perform flawlessly on its first attempt is a testament to their acumen, ingenuity and scrappiness."
Future Plans and Development Roadmap
Astrobotic's work on Chakram was supported by NASA SBIR awards and a Space Act Agreement.
The company plans to use the engine on future vehicles, including versions of its Griffin lunar lander and reusable suborbital vehicles.
Next steps for development will focus on:
- Regenerative cooling
- Throttling
- Mass reduction
No timeline for flight readiness was provided.