DEVELOPMENT OF HIGH-BURNING-RATE HYBRID-ROCKET-FUEL FLIGHT DEMONSTRATORS

Abstract

The Stanford Sounding Rocket Program was established to demonstrate, promote and grow a new hybrid fuel technology, namely, liquefying hybrids. To this end, three sounding rockets in various stages of development are described. The motivation for this program is that at laboratory scale and in scale-up ground tests, a paraffin-based hydrocarbon fuel has shown great promise in that it burns three to five times faster than conventional hybrid fuels. The impact of this high regression rate fuel is that it is now possible to design safe, compact, high performance hybrid rockets that are competitive with liquid and solid rockets in a variety of applications.