From Lampoldshausen to Orbit: DLR Spin-off GreenDelta and the Development Status of Green Propellant Thrusters Based on H2O2 and N2O

Kurzfassung

The German Aerospace Center's Institute of Space Propulsion in Lampoldshausen has more than a decade of experience in green propellant research and green propulsion hardware development. In the frame of internal research projects as well as ESA and third-party projects DLR employees gained a deep and extensive knowledge of propulsion hardware. Based on this knowledge, thrusters and propulsion hardware were developed in-house and the TRL was increased step by step. Currently, the two most promising technologies are: the HyNOx bipropellant technology, based on nitrous oxide and hydrocarbon fuels, as well as the hypergolic HIP_11 technology. The HyNOx bipropellant offers a high Isp, non-toxic components, self-pressurized propulsion systems, easy handling and very low cost. HIP_11 is a patented, hypergolic combination based on hydrogen peroxide and ionic liquid fuels, which offers a comparable Isp, significantly reduced costs, and easy to handle propellants. To commercialize the two propulsion technologies, a DLR spin-off called GreenDelta will be founded in summer 2023. The preparation of the spin-off is currently funded by the Helmholtz Association and DLR. This paper gives an overview on the development of the two technologies and their development status. First thrusters from GreenDelta will be commercially available at Q4 2023.