The solid rocket propellant Deimos, previously called "Blue Voltage" in development, was developed for Project Medusa with initial mixing and testing in April 2023 and finalized in September 2023.
History and Purpose
After the successful manufacturing and launch of Phoenix in January 2023, the team created goals for the next Spaceshot rocket, Project Medusa. One of the Medusa goals are to get halfway to space (~185,000 feet). Therefore, it was clear that a new propellant was necessary to fit the project's goals. Initial propellant formulas were developed in spring 2023, and characterization tests occurred throughout summer 2023. Lack of AP access slowed down the process in late summer-early fall 2023.
Goals for this formula:
- Experiment with trimodal AP
- Experiment with burn rate modifiers
Changes from previous propellant (Cherry Limeade):
- Experiment with trimodal AP
- Experiment with burn rate modifiers
- Replaced HTPB with a new bonding agent to combine HTPB and Tepanol bonding agent
Formula
Mixings
| Date | Designation | Motor(s) | Site | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4/17/23 | Baja Blast | Characterization Motors | RT Lab | Resulted in too low pressures |
| 7/23/23 | Blue Voltage | Characterization Motors | RT Lab | |
Static Fires & Flights
| Date | Propellant | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 7/1/23 | Baja Blast | 5 test motors integrated: 2 successful fires, 1 failure (igniter lodged itself inside the small nozzle opening), 1 didn't ignite (igniter was well at the bottom but the motor, 1 not attempted (nozzle was smaller than the failed motor, so even higher risk of repeating failure). Unfortunately, we couldn't use this data due to our pressure numbers for static fire being lower than expected (to the point that it's an issue). Likely issue was due to our load cell because hydrosttic test was successful (so no leaks). |
| 7/29 | Baja Blast | Two successful fires, but both motors had leaks, leading to substantial pressure loss. Location of leaks weren't clear until de-integration: the braces pushed the nozzle away from the carrier by a few thousandths, destroying the RTV seal. Decisions after this static fire: create new formulation for next characterization fire, and remove converging section of nozzle (make it a graphite puck). |
| 8/29 | Blue Voltage | 5 test motors prepared, all successfully fired. Pressures are within good operating range (Nozzle A - 1779 psi, Nozzle E - 1249 psi, Nozzle I - 1283 psi, Nozzle, N - 808 psi, Nozzle S - 684 psi Interesting observations about all motors:
|
