Surrey University in the UK, specialising in satellite engineering, is developing a hybrid rocket motor that uses liquid and solid fuel, both of which are environment-friendly This breakthrough could make space satellites much easier and far cheaper to operate
As SPACE research becomes costlier, inexpensive propulsion systems are being
widely sought. Research with a view to
achieving a major reduction in the cost
of satellite operation is now underway at
the University of Surrey.
At present, it is necessary to employ
costly propulsion systems using either
solid or liquid fuel to manoeuvre satellites in orbit. The expense is so great that
as much as 15 per cent of the cost of a us
$6.5 million mini-satellite mission
could be attributable to the acquisition
of a propulsion system.
The Surrey University system offers
a cheap hybrid rocket motor that is
believed to be an effective alternative for
the sort of small, low-cost mission
that is now in increasing demand.
Combining the advantage of long-term
storage offered by the solid-fuel rocket
with the start/stop capability and throttling facility of liquid-fuel one, the
Surrey University hybrid would be ideal
for transferring satellites from one orbit
to another (normally a very expensive
operation in terms of fuel and thrust),
or for making the regular small orbital
corrections that even communication
satellites in geosynchronous orbits periodically require.
The Cold War years demanded
high-performance rockets of immense
power to drive inter-continental ballistic missiles and space-launch vehicles.
This in turn, resulted in a preference for
such highly toxic but chemically potent
fuels as hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide. By the mid-60s, work on hydrogen
peroxide as a propellant had virtually
ceased as it was not regarded as a viable
fuel for big rockets. However, the political climate today has undergone a
change and people are becoming more
interested in environmental safety.
Hydrogen peroxide is far less toxic than
the old and established 'Cold War'
rocket fuels and therefore, the Surrey
University team chose hydrogen
peroxide as the oxidant.
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