Letara Ltd., in collaboration with Innovative Space Carrier (ISC), has successfully conducted a pivotal test firing of its CAMUI-style hybrid rocket engine, marking a significant stride in the development of satellite launch technology. The test, carried out at Letara’s facility in Akabira, confirmed the engine’s ability to achieve a sustained thrust of 5,000 Newtons and a stable burn duration of seven seconds.
According to a press release from Letara, this achievement represents a crucial step forward, providing invaluable data for validating the reliability of their engine technology. A key aspect of this breakthrough is the use of HTPB (Hydroxyl-Terminated Polybutadiene), a synthetic rubber material, as fuel. The company mentioned that this choice of propellant facilitates more rapid development cycles, enabling the creation of powerful, scalable, and cost-effective rockets. This innovative approach, as outlined by Letara, offers a significant competitive edge in the evolving landscape of space transportation by accelerating both development timelines and technological maturity.
The CAMUI (Cascaded Multi-stage Impinging Jet) design, employed in this engine, features multiple hollow cylindrical channels within the solid fuel. This unique configuration, as described by the company, helps maintain a consistent burn surface area, leading to stable, long-duration combustion. Compared to conventional hybrid rocket fuel designs, this method reportedly allows for enhanced combustion control and extended burn times. Furthermore, the HTPB-based CAMUI fuel is stated to burn more rapidly and generate greater thrust than traditional plastic fuels of comparable size, which could lead to more compact and lighter engines without compromising power.
The seven-second burn duration was reportedly sufficient to confirm stable combustion characteristics and to gather extensive high-resolution data on the engine’s internal performance. This data is expected to be instrumental in refining the engine development process, with the ultimate goal of a successful launch demonstration in the coming years. This potential future launch would constitute a significant moment in Japan’s spaceflight history.
