New Frontier Aerospace has accomplished a sequence of hot-fire exams of its 3D-printed Mjölnir rocket engine, the corporate introduced from its Kent, Washington headquarters. The exams mark progress towards an preliminary flight check of a hypersonic drone probably occurring subsequent 12 months. The liquid pure gas-fueled engine is known as after Thor’s hammer from Norse mythology.
The engine is meant to propel an uncrewed aerial system known as Pathfinder for hovering exams scheduled for 2026. Pathfinder may ultimately serve functions in weapons testing or suborbital point-to-point cargo transport. New Frontier additionally plans to market the Mjölnir engine as a standalone product to different aerospace corporations.
Past the Pathfinder program, the engine will energy New Frontier’s Bifröst orbital switch spacecraft, deliberate to launch by 2027. Bifröst, one other Norse mythology reference which means the rainbow bridge connecting people and gods, represents the corporate’s space-focused aspirations. The corporate is creating a number of functions for its propulsion expertise.
“We’re happy with the superb workforce that constructed this program and thrilled with the engine’s efficiency throughout this sequence of hot-fire exams,” stated Invoice Bruner, CEO of New Frontier Aerospace. “Mjölnir’s compact design, unmatched effectivity, and clear gas make it a game-changer for hypersonic flight and house propulsion. It’s poised to energy our formidable roadmap and open new potentialities for our clients.”
The engine improvement has obtained vital authorities backing. NASA supplied the corporate with two small-business grants totaling practically $1 million in 2023 and 2024. Extra funding got here from Nationwide Safety Innovation Capital, a part of the Pentagon’s Protection Innovation Unit, which awarded New Frontier a $1.5 million contract extension in 2023.
Supply: geekwire.com
