TRex-25 Hybrid Rocket Engine: A Paradigm Shift for In-Space Propulsion

A major challenging facing 21st century spacecraft developers is low-cost, reliable, high performance, and easily accessible propulsion. Traditional propulsion suppliers (Aerojet, Moog) offer massive price tags for engines that are often overkill for new-space missions. While some new entrants are maturing technology to replace the hazardous propellants used by legacy providers, these engines boast a hefty price tag ($50,000+) and have shown to lack reliability. There needs to be an alternative propulsion solution to meet the proliferation of space architectures and to modernize the propulsion industrial base. Hybird Space Systems proposes the advancement of Retrothruster-25 (TRex-25), a 25-lbf thrust hybrid rocket engine for in-space transportation. TRex-25 will be available for just thousands of dollars, over an order of magnitude reduction compared to conventional propulsion, while still competing on performance and reliability. TRex-25 represents a paradigm shift for agile spacecraft developers and the future of in-space propulsion. TRex-25 delivers on interagency propulsion objectives across USSF SSC, AFRL (Edwards, Arnold AFRB J-6), Army DEVOM / DoDÆs Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) program, Navy Strategic Systems Programs, Army Futures Command, and other service branches who are stakeholders of space propulsion and innovating solid propulsion technologies.Ā