Low Cost Carbon-Carbon Rocket Nozzle Development, Phase I

This development will provide an inexpensive vacuum nozzle manufacturing option for NOFBX^TM monopropellant systems that are currently being developed under NASA SBIR funding. NOFBX^TM is non toxic and utilizes a much simpler monopropellant feed system architecture. Furthermore NOFBX^TM meets the criteria for a non-toxic propellants that will meet NASA's performance targets (as indicated by high specific impulse and high specific impulse density) while improving safety and reducing handling operations as compared to current state-of-the-art hydrazine-based propellants. During the proposed effort we will develop CC composite in-space nozzles for use on 100lbf class NOFBX^TM thrusters. We have built the first CC composite rocket nozzle prototype that does not require autoclaving or CVD/CVI processes. In fact our process is more akin to typical carbon fiber lay-up standards than that of typical CC composites manufacturing methods. More »