en.Wedoany.com Reported - Astrobotic, based in Pittsburgh, announced that its rotating detonation rocket engine (RDRE) prototype, Chakram, has completed a series of tests at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. The two engines accumulated over 470 seconds of burn time, with a single longest burn lasting 300 seconds, achieving over 4,000 pounds of thrust, reaching thermal equilibrium, and showing no visible damage after testing. This marks a critical step forward in bringing RDRE technology closer to practical application.

"A 300-second burn was the icing on the cake," said Bryant Avalos, principal investigator for the Chakram project. "RDRE technology has demonstrated its potential for deep space missions." The engine could be used in future lunar landers, orbital transfer vehicles, and more. Astrobotic plans to integrate it into subsequent versions of the Griffin lunar lander and reusable rockets. The tests were supported by an NASA SBIR contract and utilized advanced 3D printing technology. Last year, Venus Aerospace also completed the first flight test of a similar engine. The high thrust and efficiency of rotating detonation rocket engines position them as candidates for next-generation propulsion systems.

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