A hybrid rocket designed by a research team at Taiwan’s National Cheng Kung University has been successfully launched, NCKU said Oct. 19.
The 300 kilogram-force nitrous-oxide rocket reached an altitude of 8 kilometers after taking off from a beach in Pingtung County Oct. 13, according to Chao Yei-chin, director of NCKU’s Aerospace Science and Technology Research Center.
The hybrid rocket incorporates several major breakthroughs in its design, Chao said. It uses an ignition system based on gas dynamics instead of black gunpowder, and as a result the ignition system can be shut down in case of an emergency.
In addition, the rocket employs a high-frequency remote sensing-and-control system capable of transmitting videos and sounds.
But its most impressive feature is that it has the world’s most energy-efficient combination of fuel and oxidizer, according to NCKU.
“When I attended conferences in Japan and the U.S. this March, everyone was astonished when they learned of our innovative approach,” Chao said.
The NCKU team intends to develop within five years a full-scale hybrid rocket system that can reach 100 kilometers in altitude, sources said. (HZW)