ROCKET ENGINE TEST GOES WELL, XCOR SAYS.Byline: Daily News MOJAVE - XCOR Aerospace XCOR Aerospace is a private rocket engine and spaceflight development company based at the Mojave Spaceport in Mojave, California. XCOR was formed by former members of the Rotary Rocket rocket engine development team in September, 1999. XCOR is headed by Jeff Greason. said it successfully fired its 3M9 liquid oxygen/methane engine in short, rapid bursts in tests that are part of a contract with the Air Force Research Laboratory. ``We are very pleased with this second series of test results,'' said XCOR XCOR Cross-Correlation President Jeff Greason Jeff Greason is a founder of XCOR Aerospace, the Personal Spaceflight Federation, was the team lead at Rotary Rocket for engine development, and previously worked at Intel. . ``This test demonstrates the rapid stop and restart pulse mode, and minimum impulse bit that are required for reaction control system applications. This system has potential for a variety of space applications.'' Consisting of four short pulses, the engine test took place at XCOR's facilities at Mojave Spaceport The Mojave Spaceport (IATA: MHV, ICAO: KMHV) , also known as the Mojave Airport and Civilian Aerospace Test Center, is located in Mojave, California, at an elevation of 2,791 feet. in November and used self-pressurizing propellants. Previous engine tests conducted in April 2005 consisted of 22 engine firings totaling 65 seconds. The longest engine firing was seven seconds. Pressure-fed and pump-fed versions are currently in development. The company first announced testing of a methane rocket engine in August 2005. Design, fabrication fabrication (fab´rikā´sh  n),n the construction or making of a restoration. , and testing of the engines were initially funded entirely through private investment capital. Current engine tests are being conducted under a contract through the Air Force Research Laboratory's Propulsion Directorate at Edwards Air Force Base Edwards Air Force Base, U.S. military installation, 301,000 acres (121,805 hectares), S Calif., NE of Lancaster; est. 1933. It is one of the largest air force bases in the United States and has the world's longest runway. and as part of development for an advanced regeneratively cooled liquid oxygen/methane engine for space flight. Liquid oxygen/methane rocket engines are being investigated to see whether they can provide the higher performance necessary for manned moon missions. |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion