Mon, Aug 24, 2009
Fuel Theoretically Could Be Manufactured On The Moon Or
Mars
NASA and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, or
AFOSR, have successfully launched a small rocket using an
environmentally-friendly, safe propellant comprised of aluminum
powder and water ice, called ALICE.
"This collaboration has been an opportunity for graduate
students to work on an environmentally-friendly propellant that can
be used for flight on Earth and used in long distance space
missions," said NASA Chief Engineer Mike Ryschkewitsch at NASA
Headquarters in Washington. "These sorts of university-led
experimental projects encourage a new generation of aerospace
engineers to think outside of the box and look at new ways for NASA
to meet our exploration goals."
Using ALICE as fuel, a nine-foot rocket soared to a height of
1,300 feet over Purdue University's Scholer farms in Indiana
earlier this month. ALICE is generating excitement among
researchers because this energetic propellant has the potential to
replace some liquid or solid propellants. When it is optimized, it
could have a higher performance than conventional propellants.
"By funding this collaborative research with NASA, Purdue
University and the Pennsylvania State University, AFOSR continues
to promote basic research breakthroughs for the future of the Air
Force," said Dr. Brendan Godfrey, director of AFOSR.
ALICE has the consistency of toothpaste when made. It can be fit
into molds and then cooled to -30 C 24 hours before flight. The
propellant has a high burn rate and achieved a maximum thrust of
650 pounds during this test.
"A sustained collaborative research effort on the fundamentals
of the combustion of nanoscale aluminum and water over the last few
years led to the success of this flight," said Dr. Steven F. Son, a
research team member from Purdue. "ALICE can be improved with the
addition of oxidizers and become a potential solid rocket
propellant on Earth. Theoretically, ALICE can be manufactured in
distant places like the moon or Mars, instead of being transported
to distant locations at high cost."
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