Transfer Stage

A new class of liquid oxygen and natural gas (LOX/LNG) rocket enables a high-performance Orbit Transfer Stage suitable for launch on Venture Class launch vehicles. The engine, called Mjölnir, is being developed by New Frontier Aerospace. Mjölnir uses a Full Flow Staged Combustion (FFSC) cycle in an innovative design enabling rapid Hohmann transfers between orbits. The use of LNG dramatically reduces cost and carbon emissions, with NEGATIVE greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions when sourced from the burgeoning renewable natural gas industry. The high thrust, light weight engine has a specific impulse higher than any of today’s rocket engines other than hydrogen fueled rockets making it ideal for an Orbital Transfer Stage (OTS). Moreover, because the density of LNG is over 6X hydrogen the resulting OTS size is significantly smaller, with a much lower dry mass than a hydrogen fueled OTS. The engine can support OTS gross weights from 3,000 to 20,000 lbs while still supporting very fast Hohmann transfers between orbits. These are reasonable sizes that can be launched by a wide range of emerging commercial launch vehicles in the Venture Class.

The Mjölnir engine enables revolutionary applications, the obvious point solution is an expendable NASA OTS evolving to a lunar lander and reusability. From LEO a 3,000 lb gross OTS can deploy a 400 lb payload to GEO and over 200 lbs to any location in cislunar space, including Earth escape velocity. By launching directly into the transfer orbit and scaling the tankage to 20,000 lb gross weight, the same Mjölnir engine inserts over 10X greater payloads.

There is strong interest in a 3,000 lb OTS enabling militarily responsive space domain awareness for all orbits, and also offering an exciting path to expanded commercial activities in low earth orbit. The Mjölnir engine will be availablefor OTS, lunar lander or related capabilities.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 6) — 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.

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