High-Density Monopropellant

Rocket Lab has recently developed a high-density monopropellant propulsion system under contract to DARPA, with density performance comparable to conventional high performance solid propellants but with the controllability of liquid propellants being throttleable and re-startable.  The approach and implementation of this propulsion system is highly innovative, and combines the advantages of both solid and liquid propellant systems, while significantly minimizing the associated disadvantages. The propellant is high density, storable, non-cryogenic, shock insensitive and non-exotic in composition.

This propulsion system has been successfully demonstrated in the laboratory environment. Phase two of the research, also supported by DARPA is moving into developing flight scale hardware to evaluate the technologies performance in real applications.  This propulsion system will easily substitute with conventional solid rocket motors on existing platforms offering unprecedented performance, control and safety.