Research and Test Activities on Advanced Rocket Propellants at DLR’s Institute of Space Propulsion in Lampoldshausen

Abstract

The present paper gives a comprehensive overview and summary of research and test activities conducted at the test facility M11 and the physical-chemical lab at DLR in Lampoldshausen. The focus of the research is on advanced rocket propellants and new materials for space technologies. In addition, the activities regarding supersonic flows and cooling of SCRamjets will be shown and discussed. Also the use of machine learning methods for rocket engine control are presented. The activities on advanced rocket pro pellants include research on ADN (Ammonium dinitramid)-based propellants, hydrogen peroxide, mono- and bipropellants based on nitrous oxide (HyNOx), green hypergolic bipropellants as well as gelled and nitromethane based propellants. For each propellant or propellant combination, the main research and test results of DLR internal projects are summarized. Furthermore, selected results of EU and ESA projects regarding advanced propellants and research conducted at DLR Lampoldshausen are presented.