A turbojet engine capable of operation in an Air Turbo Rocket (ATR) mode includes a compressor, a rotatable turbine wheel comprising turbine blades, a non-rotating guide vane ring comprising guide vanes, a turbine shaft configured to power said compressor, a combustor, a gas generator, and a main combustor. The main combustor is configured to combust hot, fuel rich gas from the gas generator in air compressed by the compressor. Hot, fuel rich gas from the gas generator is directed towards the turbine blades by a directing means.

A rocket engine nozzle manufacturable and applicable to tactical missile designs includes an aerospike having a plurality of airfoil fins distributed around a central longitudinal axis of a rocket engine combustion chamber. The aerospike is integrated on an exit plane at an exit end of the combustion chamber. The airfoil fins and an inner perimeter of the combustion chamber define a plurality of apertures which choke an airflow exiting the combustion chamber and cause the airflow to expand supersonically along the airfoil fins. The aerospike rocket engine nozzle requires less machine precision and achieves packing benefits over conventional bell and aerospike nozzle geometries. The configuration of the aerospike rocket engine nozzle also removes the producibility and heating constraints typically encountered with conventional aerospike nozzles in tactical missile applications while improving thrust performance of the rocket engine across a wide range of altitudes.

A power generation system includes a manifold having multiple plenums, capable of receiving multiple solid rocket motors. Initiators are coupled to the manifold, and are operatively coupled to respective of the plenums, to selectively fire different groups of the rocket motors coupled to respective of the plenums. The rocket motors act in parallel, to provide thrust in a single direction. The initiators may activate ignition charges that are in the plenums. The plenums may be annular plenums, which may be located in an annular manifold. The plenums may be lined with an insulator material. A cover may be used to cover the plenums, and also to receive the rocket motors. The rocket motors may be solid-fuel rocket motors, with propellant grains and nozzles. The individual rocket motors may have separate ignition booster charges coupled to the plenum, which are ignited by the ignition charge.

A power generation system includes a manifold having multiple plenums, capable of receiving multiple solid rocket motors. Initiators are coupled to the manifold, and are operatively coupled to respective of the plenums, to selectively fire different groups of the rocket motors coupled to respective of the plenums. The rocket motors act in parallel, to provide thrust in a single direction. The initiators may activate ignition charges that are in the plenums. The plenums may be annular plenums, which may be located in an annular manifold. The plenums may be lined with an insulator material. A cover may be used to cover the plenums, and also to receive the rocket motors. The rocket motors may be solid-fuel rocket motors, with propellant grains and nozzles. The individual rocket motors may have separate ignition booster charges coupled to the plenum, which are ignited by the ignition charge.

A propulsion system for use with a satellite comprises a substrate, a communication network and a cluster of individually selectable solid fuel motors mounted on the substrate and operatively connected to the communication network. A controller is also operatively connected to the communication network and operative to select any one of more motors of the cluster of individually selectable solid fuel motors and transmit signals to fire the one or more motors of the individually selectable solid fuel motors. The substrate may have various configurations. The cluster of motors may comprise 10-1000 motors, which may be arranged in a rectangular array or other formation. Subsets of motors having different impulse capabilities may be employed. In this manner, lighter, smaller, flexible and more efficient propulsions systems may be provided for use in attitude control, etc. of satellites.

A rocket engine nozzle manufacturable and applicable to tactical missile designs includes an aerospike having a plurality of airfoil fins distributed around a central longitudinal axis of a rocket engine combustion chamber. The aerospike is integrated on an exit plane at an exit end of the combustion chamber. The airfoil fins and an inner perimeter of the combustion chamber define a plurality of apertures which choke an airflow exiting the combustion chamber and cause the airflow to expand supersonically along the airfoil fins. The aerospike rocket engine nozzle requires less machine precision and achieves packing benefits over conventional bell and aerospike nozzle geometries. The configuration of the aerospike rocket engine nozzle also removes the producibility and heating constraints typically encountered with conventional aerospike nozzles in tactical missile applications while improving thrust performance of the rocket engine across a wide range of altitudes.

A turbojet engine capable of operation in an Air Turbo Rocket (ATR) mode includes a compressor, a rotatable turbine wheel comprising turbine blades, a non-rotating guide vane ring comprising guide vanes, a turbine shaft configured to power said compressor, a combustor, a gas generator, and a main combustor. The main combustor is configured to combust hot, fuel rich gas from the gas generator in air compressed by the compressor. Hot, fuel rich gas from the gas generator is directed towards the turbine blades by a directing means.

A turbojet engine capable of operation in an Air Turbo Rocket (ATR) mode includes a compressor, a rotatable turbine wheel comprising turbine blades, a non-rotating guide vane ring comprising guide vanes, a turbine shaft configured to power said compressor, a combustor, a gas generator, and a main combustor. The main combustor is configured to combust hot, fuel rich gas from the gas generator in air compressed by the compressor. Hot, fuel rich gas from the gas generator is directed towards the turbine blades by a directing means.

A power generation system includes a manifold having multiple plenums, capable of receiving multiple solid rocket motors. Initiators are coupled to the manifold, and are operatively coupled to respective of the plenums, to selectively fire different groups of the rocket motors coupled to respective of the plenums. The rocket motors act in parallel, to provide thrust in a single direction. The initiators may activate ignition charges that are in the plenums. The plenums may be annular plenums, which may be located in an annular manifold. The plenums may be lined with an insulator material. A cover may be used to cover the plenums, and also to receive the rocket motors. The rocket motors may be solid-fuel rocket motors, with propellant grains and nozzles. The individual rocket motors may have separate ignition booster charges coupled to the plenum, which are ignited by the ignition charge.

A power generation system includes a manifold having multiple plenums, capable of receiving multiple solid rocket motors. Initiators are coupled to the manifold, and are operatively coupled to respective of the plenums, to selectively fire different groups of the rocket motors coupled to respective of the plenums. The rocket motors act in parallel, to provide thrust in a single direction. The initiators may activate ignition charges that are in the plenums. The plenums may be annular plenums, which may be located in an annular manifold. The plenums may be lined with an insulator material. A cover may be used to cover the plenums, and also to receive the rocket motors. The rocket motors may be solid-fuel rocket motors, with propellant grains and nozzles. The individual rocket motors may have separate ignition booster charges coupled to the plenum, which are ignited by the ignition charge.