Advanced Divert and Attitude Control (DACS) system for the Multiple (Miniature) Kill Vehicles (MKV)

One possible method to intercept intercontinental ballistic missiles which deploy countermeasures is to use a "shotgun" approach, in which numerous small, cheap kill vehicles are deployed simultaneously in the hopes of scoring multiple hits. In order to be effective, such vehicles must be compact, inexpensive, reliable, and responsive. Miniaturizing a propulsion system is difficult because energetic materials may respond unpredictably at small scales in an intense combustion environment. We propose an innovative compact propulsion system, which will circumvent these concerns by using a liquid oxidizer as a coolant to prevent thermal effects from propagating through a pulse-operation-type motor. This system will utilize several self-contained gelled propellant charges. The oxidizing coolant will be injected into the motor from a bank of pre-pressurized tanks, maximizing the simplicity and manufacturability of the system; no pumps will be needed, and each propellant charge is modular and isolated from the others. The complete design will incorporate high energy density, high thrust, quick time response, high reliability, and relatively low expense. The probability of success for this project is high, since many energetic propellants have been developed by CPBT Corporation in previous SBIR studies. Commercialization of the new propulsion system has been planned for various applications.