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Exploring High-Performance Additively Manufactured Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine (RDRE) Hardware

Completed TRL 3 (started at 1, targeting 3)

Description

The goal of this proposal is to design, manufacture, and post-process additively manufactured (AM) injectors and chambers to explore design trades that yield better engine performances. These novel injector and chamber geometries will leverage the AM laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) process.

Benefits

The partnership envisioned will significantly add to NASA technology development goals for RDREs and rapidly advance a promising advanced propulsion system that could be utilized in future Moon to Mars flight vehicle architectures.

Details

Technology areaPropulsion Systems > Chemical Space Propulsion > Integrated Systems and Ancillary Technologies
ProgramCenter Innovation Fund: MSFC CIF (MSFC CIF)
Lead organizationMarshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL
Start date2021-10-01
End date2022-09-30

Project contacts

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How to get involved

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 3) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.