The AeroSpike Rocket Engine has several advantages over traditional bell-shaped rocket engines. This design can potentially reduce fuel consumption, making launches more cost-effective.
Notably, AeroSpike engines are well-suited for reusable launch vehicles and missions that require multiple stages.
AeroSpike engines maintain efficiency across a wide range of altitudes by adjusting the exhaust flow, unlike traditional engines which are optimized for a specific altitude.
Overall, AeroSpike engines offer significant advantages in terms of efficiency and performance, they also come with challenges related to complexity and initial cost. The successful test by SpaceFields is a promising step towards overcoming these challenges and making AeroSpike engines a viable option for future space missions.
@Space_Fields, an @iiscbangalore-incubated startup has successfully fired India's first aerospike rocket engine.
— Sibu Tripathi 🪂 (@imsktripathi) September 11, 2024
Aerospike engines are unique because they adjust to different altitudes, maintaining efficiency regardless of atmospheric pressure 🚀 pic.twitter.com/Uz4SUHuYT6
Here are some key highlights:
Peak Thrust: The engine achieved a peak thrust of 2000 Newtons.
Material: The engine is made from Titanium grade 5 (Ti-6Al-4V), known for its excellent strength-to-weight ratio.
Thermal Insulation: A patent-pending GFRP-based ablative thermal insulation was used to protect the aerospike’s surface, capable of withstanding temperatures up to 3000K.
Altitude Compensation: The AeroSpike design offers altitude compensation, making it more efficient across various pressure regimes.
This development marks a significant milestone in India's space technology, potentially leading to more efficient and cost-effective space launch systems in the future.
About SpaceFields, it is a spacetech startup based in Bengaluru, India, founded in 2021 by Apurwa Masook, Sudarshan Samal, and Rounak Agrawal. The company focuses on developing dual-use rocket propulsion systems for both commercial spaceflight and national security applications.
Incubated at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, and supported by the governments of India, Karnataka, and Odisha, SpaceFields has also filed six patents on in-house developed technologies.
The Space Technology startup has raised $800,000 in a seed round led by HVB 88 Angels and O2 Angels Network.
SpaceFields aims to minimize barriers to entry for emerging small satellites and enable broader access to space. They have also collaborated with organizations like the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
Advertisements