Beal Aerospace has fired a prototype hydrogen peroxide and kerosene rocket engine at its McGregor test facilities. The first in a series of tests began on May 27th with a successful firing of a scaled down stage-1 engine. Two additional tests were carried out on June 3rd.
The tests were auto-sequenced by computer control and validated design assumptions regarding injector design and thrust chamber lifetime.
A combustion efficiency of 97.2 percent was achieved in the first test giving a specific impulse of 261.7 seconds– 2.7 seconds higher than expected. Each of the three burns lasted 24 seconds. The ablatively cooled thrust chamber exceeded performance expectations with virtually no erosion.
The motor fired is a prototype of the propulsion to be developed for the BA-1 and BA-2 rockets. All engines in the BA family of rockets will use the same engine design currently being tested. The next size engine to be tested is expected to produce 40,000 lbs of thrust and will have a vacuum specific impulse of 300 seconds.
Beal Aerospace is building a three stage expendable launch vehicle in the medium to heavy class. First launch is planned for late 1999 from Sombrero Island in the Caribbean, which Beal has an option to lease. Assembly of the rockets will take place in Frisco, Texas at the nearly complete 100,000 square foot factory. Beal Aerospace is privately financed and moving rapidly on all fronts of its business plan.
