Utah Rocketry proposes to initiate the development of a low cost, storable liquid propellant rocket propulsion system which promises to lower propulsion system costs by a factor of 10 compared to the propulsion systems on existing ELVs. This extremely simple system uses the self-pressurizing nature of volatile hydrocarbon fuels as a means to achieve high reliability, improved safety, low development/manufacturing costs, improved operability, and high performance. Advanced fabrication technology and materials will be used in the system to achieve the desirable combination of high propellant mass fractions, low packaging volume, and low empty weight. The proposed Phase I effort includes the optimization and documentation of the propulsion system, as well as the designing, building, and testing of a small prototype. Phase II will further the development of the storable propellant system to near flightworthy status, while initiating the development of a cryogenic oxygen/hydrogen derivative of the system.
Potential Commercial Applications:This propulsion system is ideally suited to provide a safe, highly operable, high performing, low cost alternative for the main propulsion of a low cost liquid upper stage for use on existing ELVs, as well as RLVs. The system can also be used in booster stages, sounding rockets, reaction control systems, orbital maneuvering systems, and spacecraft.
