Aerojet Rocketdyne has successfully completed hot-fire testing of its ISE-100 in-space engine. The development test program included 75 individual tests, 774 pulses and more than 500 seconds of hot-fire time.
The ISE-100 was developed for commercial in-space applications, with future lunar robotic missions in mind. It produces 100 lb of thrust, giving it the ability to provide downward thrust during landing.
“As the nation sets its sights back on the moon, Aerojet Rocketdyne stands ready to support commercial and NASA endeavors with reliable and affordable propulsion systems, like our new ISE-100 engine,” said Aerojet Rocketdyne CEO and president Eileen Drake.
During the test program, the engine successfully went through 75 individual tests, 774 pulses and more than 500 seconds of hot-fire time. Key tests performed in this program included multiple long duration steady-state burns, multiple short pulse trains and a long endurance duty cycle, representative of potential robotic lunar lander missions.
The ISE-100 engine will now move from the development phase to the certification phase, where it will undergo additional configuration testing with flight qualified materials.
Utilizing MON-25/MMH propellants, the ISE-100 is designed to be an affordable and dependable engine option for commercial operators to power spacecraft. MON-25 is a high-performance storable oxidizer with a low freezing point that is particularly well suited to deep space environments.
Another element of the low-cost design approach is the engine’s additively manufactured Titanium injector, which reportedly completed the entire test series without anomaly.
May 30, 2018
