In late November, British company Pulsar Fusion demonstrated its latest green hybrid rocket engine in Saanen.

An impressive visual plume effect of supersonic shock diamonds, a visible pattern formed in the exhaust of supersonic rocket propulsions, flared through the snowstorm as the team operated the engine in quickly changing conditions. The exhaust speeds of the engine were recorded at Mach 7. This engine would be capable of launching a small rocket to an altitude of several 10s of km, or powering the upper stage of a rocket with a larger booster stage into orbit.

Pulsar Fusion is primarily engaged in the research of high-speed propulsion and clean energy applications from nuclear fusion. The company’s ultimate milestone is to produce a hyper-speed propulsion engine using nuclear fusion technologies, of which it has been researching for nine years. These technologies could eventually be used for interplanetary travel and might even halve the journey time from Earth to Mars according to scientists. A first prototype is expected in 2025.

Pulsar’s green (non-toxic) hybrid rocket engine combusts nitrous oxide (N2O) oxidiser and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) fuel and oxygen. The HDPE can be obtained from recycled plastic and the two fuels burn together to produce a non-toxic plume.

CEO, Richard Dinan commented: “British companies with space ambitions must be international and fast moving, achieving technological milestones on time and on budget whilst being environmentally conscious. Pulsar’s objective is to build world class technologies that serve as a force for good.

The propellants used – nitrous oxide and polyethylene – are some of the cleanest available to the space industry, producing an exhaust of largely water vapour and having an extremely low production energy requirement, resulting in one of the lowest carbon footprints in the world for an engine of this size.

It is a new model that enables Pulsar to manufacture these compact rocket engines at record lead times, with an enhanced safety factor as due to the design, these engines have relatively benign failure modes in comparison with conventional liquid propulsion engines.

Why Gstaad?
The demonstration took place on the runway of Gstaad Airport. Pulsar sees Switzerland as a country that is well placed to support advanced, environmentally friendly space technologies. The company strives to be a British company that can demonstrate its technologies to international clients and Switzerland is an ideal gateway for such an ambition. Pulsar hopes to carry out further tests in the region in 2022 and invite European space clients to attend.

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