Engineers at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, have made significant progress in the development of a groundbreaking propulsion system known as the Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine (RDRE). In a recent test, a full-scale 3D-printed RDRE produced more than 5,800 pounds of thrust, surpassing previous benchmarks.

The successful 251-second hot fire test conducted in fall 2023 signals a major milestone for the RDRE technology. This breakthrough comes after an initial test in summer 2022, which produced over 4,000 pounds of thrust for nearly a minute. The latest test aimed to understand how to scale the RDRE combustor to different thrust classes and expand its potential applications.

Thomas Teasley, the combustion devices engineer leading the RDRE test effort at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, highlighted that the sustained burn achieved during the test mimics the requirements for both landing missions and long-distance space travel. This milestone paves the way for potential usage in missions ranging from lunar landers to upper stage engines and even enabling supersonic retropropulsion techniques for Mars landings.

The RDRE technology promises a leap in design efficiency, bringing NASA closer to developing lightweight propulsion systems capable of sending larger payloads further into deep space. This advancement aligns with NASA's ambitious Moon to Mars vision, where efficient propulsion systems play a critical role.

Collaborations with external partners have been integral to the RDRE's development. In Space LLC and Purdue University, both based in Lafayette, Indiana, worked with NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center to conduct the initial hot fire test in 2022. Meanwhile, NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland and Venus Aerospace from Houston, Texas are collaborating to explore ways to enhance the RDRE for higher performance.

The RDRE project is managed and funded by NASA's Game Changing Development Program, which operates within the Space Technology Mission Directorate. This program focuses on driving innovative technologies to enable large leaps in space exploration capabilities.

With the successful hot fire test, NASA's RDRE technology has taken a significant stride forward, representing a step closer towards the agency's goal of sending humans and payloads deeper into the cosmos. As engineers continue to refine and scale the technology, the RDRE is poised to revolutionize space propulsion and facilitate future exploration missions.

For more information, please contact:
Ramon J. Osorio
NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center
ramon.j.osorio@nasa.gov
256-544-0034