PROPULSION AND PROPELLANTS FOR ANTI-SATELLITE (ASAT)

NEW OXIDIZERS OFFER THE GREATEST POTENTIAL FOR ACHIEVING IMPULSE GOALS IN ADVANCED PROPELLANTS SUCH AS ARE REQUIRED BY KINETIC ENERGY WEAPONS IN ANTI-SATELLITE DEFENSE SYSTEMS. THE MAIN OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROGRAM IS TO SYNTHESIZE THE POTENTIAL ADVANCED OXIDIZER 1,3-DINITRO-1,3-DIAZETIDINE. THIS OXYGEN-BALANCED NITRAMINE WITH INTRINSIC STRAIN ENERGY IS PREDICTED TO BE A PROPELLANT INGREDIENT SIGNIFICANTLY SUPERIOR EVEN TO CURRENT ADVANCED INGREDIENTS SUCH AS 1,3,3-TRINITROAZETIDINE (TNAZ) AND CL-20. A FORMULATED PROPELLANT CONSISTING OF 80% OXIDIZER, 15% BTTN PLASTICIZER, AND 5% PGN BINDER HAS BEEN CALCULATED TO PROVIDE AN I(SP) OF 269.9 SEC FOR CL-20 COMPARED TO 279.3 SEC USING 1,3-DINITRO-1,3-DIAZETIDINE. TWO PROPOSED APPROACHES LEADING TO 1,3-DINITRO-1,3-DIAZETIDINE WILL BE EXPLORED.