Annular Hybrid Rocket Motor, Phase I

Engineers at SpaceDev have conducted a preliminary design and analysis of a proprietary annular design concept for a hybrid motor. A U.S. Patent application has been submitted and is pending approval. The annular hybrid motor is an improvement to hybrid rocket motor technology that can be used for a wide range of applications. The technology will lead to improvements in hybrid payload mass fraction, increased performance during throttling, and reduced costs associated with casting hybrid fuel grains. The technology is highly scalable and can be used for applications ranging from small thrusters on satellites, to launch vehicle booster applications.

This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

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.