Wed, Oct 20, 2004
Cryogenic Liquid Oxygen Pump a Success
XCOR Aerospace has
completed another significant milestone in its Pump-Fed Rocket
Program by successfully pumping liquid oxygen through a cryogenic
liquid oxygen pump developed by XCOR. The cryogenic liquid oxygen
pump is driven by a motor unit that has been operating to
requirements for over a year. Previously, the pump had been pumping
liquid nitrogen. Both motor and pump are piston machines, rather
than the more traditional turbo-centrifugal hardware. The
pump’s size is matched to XCOR’s 1,830 lbf thrust
LOX-kerosene engine under development with private investment
funds.
The pump’s success completes a Defense Advanced Research
Projects Agency (DARPA) Phase II contract.
DARPA’s objective
for this contract was to develop a low cost, highly operational
alternative to turbo pumps for high performance propulsion systems.
DARPA is the central research and development organization for the
Department of Defense (DoD). It manages and directs selected basic
and applied research and development projects for DoD, and pursues
research and technology where risk and payoff are both very high
and where success may provide dramatic advances for traditional
military roles and missions.
“This contract has helped us develop the rocket engines
for our Xerus vehicle (below) as well as for several potential DoD
programs,” said Rich Pournelle, Director of Investor
Relations. The Phase II contract follows the successful completion
of Phase I and Bridge Phase contracts that developed the pump
design through concept proof and preliminary design of a flight
configuration. XCOR qualified for accelerated award of the Phase II
contract by matching the government award with private capital. The
second phase allowed for the construction and test of prototype
flight pumps for liquid oxygen and kerosene propellants.
Dan DeLong, XCOR’s Chief Engineer said, “We are very
pleased with our progress. This liquid oxygen pump will greatly
improve our ability to reach suborbit in the Xerus.” The
company will now focus on securing a combination of government
contracts and additional private investment to continue development
of a suborbital vehicle for space tourism, microgravity research
and microsatellite launches.
XCOR Aerospace is a California corporation located in Mojave,
California. The company is in the business of developing and
producing safe, reliable and reusable rocket engines and rocket
powered vehicles.
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