Bremen’s POLARIS Spaceplanes recently acquired two AS1 aerospike engines they designed in-house. These engines will propel AURORA, POLARIS’s project focused on a multipurpose spaceplane and hypersonic transport system, which has a potential to carry up to 1,000 kg to low Earth orbit with its maiden flight projected for 2026.
These specific engines, described as “thick-walled ground-test engines”, were manufactured by the German firm AM Global. Alongside the engines, POLARIS has received LOX and kerosene injectors and various crucial components. The initiation of the ground testing phase for these engines is anticipated within a fortnight.
Additionally, AM Global is in the process of producing lighter flight test engines for MIRA, AURORA’s subscale prototype. MIRA will be characterized by its 4.24-meter length, fiber-reinforced fuselage shell, and an aerospike rocket engine, supplemented by four kerosene-driven turbine engines.
POLARIS aims to launch MIRA’s first flight test within this year, leveraging a recently-granted allowance for restricted aerospace over the Baltic Sea.
Source: europeanspaceflight.com
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