Venus Aerospace’s supersonic drone, fitted with a ground-breaking Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine (RDRE), has successfully completed its inaugural flight.
The aviation master mind has integrated RDRE in their latest drone prototype, which incorporates the RDRE, showcasing a paradigm shift in the drone industry. On February 24, the prototype drone made its first flight, descending from 12,000 feet, and reached a speed of Mach 0.9 with a hydrogen peroxide monopropellant engine.
However, the RDRE, which is planned for later missions, should be able to push the vehicle over Mach 1, opening up new possibilities in terms of efficiency and speed.
Operating on an unprecedented framework, the RDRE consists of two coaxial cylinders with an ignited fuel/oxidizer combination. This design includes a lightweight, simple engine at least 15% more efficient than its traditional counterparts, allowing for higher velocity or heavier payloads.
Venus Aerospace plans to create the “Stargazer,” a reusable hypersonic spacecraft that can carry people faster than Mach 9 (6900 mph / 11,000 km/h). This project envisions one-hour transcontinental flights from Houston to London or San Francisco to Tokyo.
Although achieving such goals would have technological and regulatory obstacles, Venus Aerospace is dedicated to moving the RDRE forward for various defense applications shortly.
The recent flight test and its remarkable success bring us closer to a new era of supersonic propulsion with significant aerospace advancements and innovation on our way.
Source: Venus Aerospace