Nano rocket motor runs on H2O

[shockie]

https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/nano-rocket-thruster

 

[NTP2]

I am now thinking about using something like this to do active control of a mid power rocket…

 

[shockie]

Image having 1000 or 10,000 of these motors in a cluster.

 

[asm109]

You need a source of energy to run the 20W electrolysis cell. On a satellite, solar cells and couple of batteries does the trick.
On a midpower model rocket, not so much.

No way around the 2nd law of thermo.

 

[OzHybrid]

Water as a monopropellant-ish.

 

[NTP2]

You need a source of energy to run the 20W electrolysis cell. On a satellite, solar cells and couple of batteries does the trick.
On a midpower model rocket, not so much.

No way around the 2nd law of thermo.

Yeah but lipos are getting lighter and cheaper so you could probably get it on a high power remember the nano satellites are not much heavier than a big HPR rocket.

 

[SDramstad]

but the big version only produces 1 newton of thrust. not going too far with that on earth.

 

[Antares JS]

but the big version only produces 1 newton of thrust. not going too far with that on earth.

It's for orbital maneuvering, not for launch.

 

[SDramstad]

It's for orbital maneuvering, not for launch.

Exactly. Not going into one of our rockets anytime soon

 

[NTP2]

but the big version only produces 1 newton of thrust. not going too far with that on earth.

But to push side to side to land a rocket like bps.space it could be useful.

 

[Grog6]

What about running a heat pipe into a apcp motor, as a source of heat? You could design the engine for the losses, and use water valving to feed the steam jets for guidance.

 

[OzHybrid]

What about running a heat pipe into a apcp motor, as a source of heat? You could design the engine for the losses, and use water valving to feed the steam jets for guidance.

A hybrid would already have on-board pressurised gas. N2O Piping some off would be relatively easy. But 3/4 fins are easier... But not in space

 

[cerving]

Some technologies (i.e. bipropellants) don't scale down very well. This is one that doesn't scale up very well... but it sounds like a great solution for nanosatellite reaction control, without having to use nasty propellants like 100% H2O2, or having to carry a relatively large/heavy tank for cold gas thrusters.