An attitude control and thrust boosting system (100) for a space launcher is disclosed, wherein the space launcher is equipped with a rocket engine (303) provided with an exhaust nozzle. The exhaust nozzle comprises a divergent portion (302) so designed as to make a supersonic gas flow exit through an exit section defined by a given angle of divergence with respect to a longitudinal axis of the rocket engine. The attitude control and thrust boosting system (100) comprises flaps (110, 111, 112, 113) that are arranged around the exit section, are shaped so as to extend the divergent portion of the exhaust nozzle, are mechanically decoupled from said exhaust nozzle and can be actuated to take different angular positions with respect to the longitudinal axis of the rocket engine. Control means (130) are also provided to receive quantities indicative of an actual attitude of the space launcher and an ambient static pressure, and to make the flaps (110,111,112,113) take a neutral angular position where the flaps (110,111,112,113) are inclined, with respect to the longitudinal axis of the rocket engine, according to an inclination angle greater than, or equal to, the given angle of divergence, in order to control the neutral angular position taken by the flaps (110,111,112,113) according to the ambient static pressure and to make one or more flaps (110,111,112,113) take an angular position different than the neutral angular position according to the actual attitude of the space launcher and to a required attitude for said space launcher.

A hybrid rocket engine with a vortex flow field injection system that produces a high-speed sustained vortex flow field is described. The hybrid rocket engine includes a generally cylindrical injection chamber with an inner circumference to comprise an outer edge of a solid propellant grain in the hybrid rocket engine. The engine also includes an injection system that has a throttle valve and an injector that injects injection fluid into the engine and produces a vortex flow-field for the injected fluid. The injector includes at least one primary feed line that distributes the injection fluid throughout a pre-swirl chamber and multiple orifices along an inner edge of the injection chamber. The pre-swirl chamber connects to the injection chamber and at least one of the primary feed lines and redirects a primary fluid flow of the injected fluid from a primary axial direction to a centrifugal direction.

A readily combustible portion (110) includes a readily combustible exposed surface (111) that is exposed to a flow channel (CA). A combustion-resistant portion (140), which comprises a material that is more resistant to combustion than the readily combustible portion (110), covers an outer surface of the readily combustible portion (110) on the opposite side from the readily combustible exposed surface (111) in a direction orthogonal to a length direction parallel to a direction in which a hybrid rocket is propelled. The combustion-resistant portion (140) includes a thick portion (120) that serves as a stopper that prevents peeling of the readily combustible portion (110) from the combustion-resistant portion (140) in a direction from a starting end surface (100a) toward a terminating end surface (100b).

A hybrid propulsion system includes a housing, at least two electrodes, a solid-grain fuel material, a combustion chamber, an oxidizer port, and a nozzle. The housing has a first end and a second end and defines a cavity. The electrodes extend into the cavity. The fuel material is free of an oxidizer and is positioned in the cavity. The fuel material has a combustion surface and is exposed to the electrodes. The combustion chamber is defined between the combustion surface and the second end. The oxidizer port provides a flow of oxidizer to the combustion chamber. The nozzle is positioned at the second end. Combustion of the fuel material in the combustion chamber may be dominated by radiative heat transfer. Combustion of the fuel material in the combustion chamber may generate thrust of no more than 5 N at an oxidizer flow rate of no more than 5 g/s.

A system for launching aerospace payloads includes a wingless, unmanned modified lifting body spacecraft (100), with a payload compartment in the forward section of the spacecraft. The spacecraft is propelled by hybrid rockets clustered in the aft section of the spacecraft. Reaction control system (RCS) modules control the flight path and its associated avionics hardware and software. This system also includes a carrier aircraft (200) configured to air-launch the spacecraft. The carrier aircraft includes a flight operations control system, which monitors the spacecraft's payload and monitors and controls launch and flight operations of the spacecraft. A ground-based mission control system monitors and controls the spacecraft's payload and monitors and controls the launch and flight operations of the spacecraft.

A propulsion system for small artificial satellites comprises a plurality of engines (2) fixable to a frame (101) of a satellite (100); a control unit (3) connected functionally to the engines (2) for sending at least one activation signal (AS) for activating at least one engine (2); the system is selectively configurable at least between a first configuration in which at least one of the engines (2) is activated for correcting the orbit of the satellite (100) and a second configuration in which at least one of the engines (2) is activated for dispersing said satellite (100) relative to another adjacent satellite.

A hybrid propulsion system includes a housing, at least two electrodes, a solid-grain fuel material, a combustion chamber, an oxidizer port, and a nozzle. The housing has a first end and a second end and defines a cavity. The electrodes extend into the cavity. The fuel material is free of an oxidizer and is positioned in the cavity. The fuel material has a combustion surface and is exposed to the electrodes. The combustion chamber is defined between the combustion surface and the second end. The oxidizer port provides a flow of oxidizer to the combustion chamber. The nozzle is positioned at the second end. Combustion of the fuel material in the combustion chamber may be dominated by radiative heat transfer. Combustion of the fuel material in the combustion chamber may generate thrust of no more than 5 N at an oxidizer flow rate of no more than 5 g/s.

A motor has an oxidizer injector, the oxidizer injector is mainly suitable for using in a combustion chamber, the oxidizer injector has a body having a first runner assembly and a second runner assembly arranged along an axis, the first runner assembly injects oxidizer into the combustion chamber to form a forward swirl, and the second runner assembly injects oxidizer into the combustion chamber to form a reverse swirl, the axial torsion generated by the forward swirl and the axial torsion generated by the reverse swirl counteract each other, so as to solve the problem of axial torsion imbalance in the combustion chamber.

A hybrid propulsion system includes a housing, at least two electrodes, a solid-grain fuel material, a combustion chamber, an oxidizer port, and a nozzle. The housing has a first end and a second end and defines a cavity. The electrodes extend into the cavity. The fuel material is free of an oxidizer and is positioned in the cavity. The fuel material has a combustion surface and is exposed to the electrodes. The combustion chamber is defined between the combustion surface and the second end. The oxidizer port provides a flow of oxidizer to the combustion chamber. The nozzle is positioned at the second end. Combustion of the fuel material in the combustion chamber may be dominated by radiative heat transfer. Combustion of the fuel material in the combustion chamber may generate thrust of no more than 5 N at an oxidizer flow rate of no more than 5 g/s.

A hybrid propulsion system includes a housing, at least two electrodes, a solid-grain fuel material, a combustion chamber, an oxidizer port, and a nozzle. The housing has a first end and a second end and defines a cavity. The electrodes extend into the cavity. The fuel material is free of an oxidizer and is positioned in the cavity. The fuel material has a combustion surface and is exposed to the electrodes. The combustion chamber is defined between the combustion surface and the second end. The oxidizer port provides a flow of oxidizer to the combustion chamber. The nozzle is positioned at the second end. Combustion of the fuel material in the combustion chamber may be dominated by radiative heat transfer.