It was a 22 hour day. We went out to the desert and poured concrete for 6 hours then began rocket testing. We poured the anchors of our tether testing trapeesze, and helped finish the flame trench on the FAR large vertical test stand.
We did a short 15 second or so test fireing, at full throttle. We ran out of permangnate before we ran out of Peroxide. Other than a tie down problem during setup that was the only issue.
We then helped someone else setup a test (can’t talk about it).
After their test we tested our vehicle for longer duration, it was supposed to be a minute, but again we ran out of permangnate early, we need to adjust the permangenate flow down.
We tested throttling and vane actuation, everything worked it was a very positive test. I have video of the first test, the camera shutoff during the second test. I have had zero time to review anything as I have a plane to catch in 2 hours and I will be doing non-rocket business stuff until next week.
I’ll post data a video when I return.
8 comments:
good to hear ! congratulations
Let's see...
Hot flamey stuff? Check!
Rocket still in one piece? Check!
I would call that a clean sweep! :) Congratulations!
In a previous entry, I asked about your peroxide, but it was some time after it was written. This is probably a bad one to re-ask the qeustion (you being out of town and all...) but I thought I'd ask: What type of peroxide are you using and has availability been a problem for you? It was primarily the difficulty of getting 90% rocket-grade perxoide that stopped AA from continuing with their mixed monoprop engines.
We are buying/ trading services for peroxide acquired by another large peroxide user using the same test facilities.
The peroxide supply problem seems to be solved, in the states Michael Carden and XL space systems seems to be able to deliver peroxide in a reasonable time frame.
Did you get any performance data?
Chamber Pressure?
Or was this a 1 bit test?
Steve
AA needed 90% peroxide for their peroxide monoprop engine. They were using 50% peroxide for their mixed alcohol/peroxide/water engine. I do remember Carmack saying that some of the explosions he'd heard about in alcohol/peroxide engines "gave him pause".
Anyway -- he also said that he thinks rockets should have flames coming out the back, and seems ecstatic about his current film-cooled alcohol/LOX engines. After the X-Prize was won, I think he/they feel that they may as well make a rocket that has some specific impulse...and, you know, flames :)
Good luck to Paul, I am glad that you have a propellant supply that is stable.
Thad
Hmm....
What other company is building peroxide rockets...hmm...
Blue Origin, maybe?
Thad
Speedup
Good to hear. Congratulations
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