A motor and fuel-powered hybrid system of a rocket thruster is disclosed, which mainly provides power through a motor and a fluid fuel injector. In particular, at the beginning stage of the rocket lift-off, the motor drives the compressor to provide power to send the rocket into air. When the speed and height of the rocket gradually increase, the fuel is ignited to give power to keep propelling the rocket, thereby reducing the fluid fuel that needs to be carried on the rocket, increasing the rocket's loading space and enhancing the carrying capacity.

A motor and fuel-powered hybrid system of a rocket thruster is disclosed, which mainly provides power through a motor and a fluid fuel injector. In particular, at the beginning stage of the rocket lift-off, the motor drives the compressor to provide power to send the rocket into air. When the speed and height of the rocket gradually increase, the fuel is ignited to give power to keep propelling the rocket, thereby reducing the fluid fuel that needs to be carried on the rocket, increasing the rocket's loading space and enhancing the carrying capacity.

A motor and fuel-powered hybrid system of a rocket thruster is disclosed, which mainly provides power through a motor and a fluid fuel injector. In particular, at the beginning stage of the rocket lift-off, the motor drives the compressor to provide power to send the rocket into air. When the speed and height of the rocket gradually increase, the fuel is ignited to give power to keep propelling the rocket, thereby reducing the fluid fuel that needs to be carried on the rocket, increasing the rocket's loading space and enhancing the carrying capacity.

A motor and fuel-powered hybrid system of a rocket thruster is disclosed, which mainly provides power through a motor and a fluid fuel injector. In particular, at the beginning stage of the rocket lift-off, the motor drives the compressor to provide power to send the rocket into air. When the speed and height of the rocket gradually increase, the fuel is ignited to give power to keep propelling the rocket, thereby reducing the fluid fuel that needs to be carried on the rocket, increasing the rocket's loading space and enhancing the carrying capacity.

Systems and methods for determining bi-propellant volume and adjusting a mixture ratio are discussed herein. A controller can calculate an adjusted mixture ratio and command the rocket engine to implement the adjusted mixture ratio by opening or closing valves of the propellant tanks, which changes the volumetric flow rates of each of the propellants. The adjusted mixture ratio can be calculated by an algorithm based on sensed or calculated data associated with each propellant. The adjusted mixture ratio can be used to evenly deplete the propellants to reduce the amount of each propellant remaining after a mission and to improve propellant use, which allows for an increase in a non-propellant payload.

Rocket propulsion systems and associated methods are disclosed. A representative system includes a combustion chamber having an inwardly-facing chamber wall enclosing a combustion zone. The chamber has a generally spherical shape and is exposed to the combustion zone. A propellant injector is coupled to the combustion chamber and has at least one fuel injector nozzle positioned to direct a flow of cooling fuel radially outwardly along the inwardly-facing chamber wall. In addition to or in lieu of the foregoing features, the injector can include an oxidizer piston and a fuel piston that deliver oxidizer and fuel, respectively, to the combustion chamber, in a sequenced manner so that the oxidizer is introduced prior to the fuel.

Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a vapor retention device and methods of using a vapor retention device to manage propellant for upper stage space vehicles. The use of a vapor retention device, in combination with controlled acceleration, drives liquid propellant from a propellant supply line communicating with an upper stage main engine back into a propellant tank and establishes an insulating liquid/gas propellant interface that prevents the exchange of gaseous propellant across the interface.

Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a vapor retention device and methods of using a vapor retention device to manage propellant for upper stage space vehicles. The use of a vapor retention device, in combination with controlled acceleration, drives liquid propellant from a propellant supply line communicating with an upper stage main engine back into a propellant tank and establishes an insulating liquid/gas propellant interface that prevents the exchange of gaseous propellant across the interface.

A method for operating a rocket propulsion system comprises the steps of supplying oxygen to a combustion chamber, supplying hydrogen to the combustion chamber and combusting the oxygen-hydrogen mixture in the combustion chamber. The rocket propulsion system is operated alternately in a first operating mode, in which oxygen and hydrogen are supplied to the combustion chamber in a first mass mixing ratio of oxygen to hydrogen, and in a second operating mode, in which oxygen and hydrogen are supplied to the combustion chamber in a second mass mixing ratio of oxygen to hydrogen that is greater than the first mass mixing ratio.

A method for operating a rocket propulsion system comprises the steps of supplying oxygen to a combustion chamber, supplying hydrogen to the combustion chamber and combusting the oxygen-hydrogen mixture in the combustion chamber. The rocket propulsion system is operated alternately in a first operating mode, in which oxygen and hydrogen are supplied to the combustion chamber in a first mass mixing ratio of oxygen to hydrogen, and in a second operating mode, in which oxygen and hydrogen are supplied to the combustion chamber in a second mass mixing ratio of oxygen to hydrogen that is greater than the first mass mixing ratio.