ASTRA SPACE OPERATIONS, INC. — National Aeronautics and Space Administration SBIR Phase I: To-date, the realization of small-scale, high-performance propulsion systems for challengi
ASTRA SPACE OPERATIONS, INC. — SBIR Phase I award from National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
- Amount
- $124,481
- Agency
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Program / Phase
- SBIR · Phase I
- NAICS
- —
- Place of performance
- CA
- Period
- 2012-02-13 → 2012-08-13
Description
To-date, the realization of small-scale, high-performance propulsion systems for challenging in-space maneuvers requiring high delta-V and acceleration over a short period of time (i.e. sample return), has largely been limited by the lack of regeneratively-cooled thrust chamber assemblies and turbopumps in the 100-1,000lbf thrust class. Ventions proposes to overcome this limitation by developing a 500lbf, LOX-cooled, pump-fed engine for in-space propulsion applications. The Phase I effort will focus on: 1. Overall design of a 500lbf engine; 2. Detailed design and fabrication of a sub-scale, LOX-cooled main combustion chamber; and 3. Experimental hot-fire testing of a LOX / IPA combustion chamber assembly to evaluate cooling channel performance and LOX quality at the injector inlet.