Venus Aerospace has conducted a maiden flight with a supersonic drone, designed to be powered by an innovative rotary detonation rocket engine (RDRE) in future tests. This project, destined for completion after 2035, marks a turning point in the exploration of new propulsion technologies.
Since the 1950’s, U.S. military aviation has been has experimented with supersonic unmanned aircraft for a variety of applications, from training targets to reconnaissance vehicles. Traditionally, these drones have relied on jet engines to overcome the sound barrier. However, recent advances in various technological areas have expanded the operational possibilities of unmanned vehicles. unmanned vehicles although propulsion remained the same.
The supersonic drone test
Venus Aerospace’s proposed change involves the implementation of an RDRE on its new supersonic drone, a modification that promises to overcome the limitations of conventional engines. In its test flight on February 24 from an altitude of 3,700 meters, the 2.4-meter-long, 140-kg drone reached a maximum speed of Mach 0.9, temporarily powered by a hydrogen peroxide monopropellant engine. However, for future flights, the RDRE is expected to enable supersonic speeds. Below is a video of the drone during its maiden flight.
First flight of the supersonic drone using a rotary detonation rocket motor. Source: Venus Aerospace
The RDRE promises to be 15% more efficient than traditional jet engines, which could translate into higher payloads or higher speeds.
According to Andrew Duggleby, chief technology officer and co-founder of Venus Aerospace, the air-launched platform and winged rocket design will enable rapid and cost-effective validation of the RDRE as a hypersonic engine. This approach has generated a significant amount of data that the team will use to refine future tests.
The ultimate goal of Venus Aerospace is to develop a reusable hypersonic spaceplane, tentatively known as Stargazer, that could carry passengers at speeds in excess of Mach 9. This spaceplane would take off in a conventional manner and reach extreme altitudes before accelerating to hypersonic speeds, potentially reducing the flight time between distant cities to just one hour.
The future of RDRE
While the concept of hypersonic passenger travel still seems far off, the development of the RDRE by Venus Aerospace could have immediate defense applications.
The ability to propel drones and possibly other aerial vehicles at speeds never before achieved would not only change the rules of the game in terms of military strategy, but also accelerate progress toward advanced transportation technologies. This project demonstrates how innovations in propulsion can open new frontiers, not only in space exploration, but also in defense and, eventually, in commercial aviation.
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Source: newatlas.com
Photo: shutterstock
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