NASA successfully tests new engine for deep space exploration - Fox News
The agency said that the design could significantly change how future propulsion systems are built.
The supersonic rocket engine uses detonation, with the design producing more power while using less fuel than today's propulsion systems.It has the potential to power both human landers and interplanetary vehicles to deep space destinations, like the moon or Mars.Rotating detonation rocket engine, or RDRE hot fire test at Marshall Space Flight Center.NASA said that the engine achieved its primary objective by demonstrating that its hardware could function for long periods of time while also withstanding the extreme heat and pressure environments generated by detonations.Due to this recent success, additional work is being conducted by engineers to develop a fully reusable 10,000-pound class RDRE to identify performance benefits over traditional liquid rocket engines.