Venus Aerospace has opened a new propulsion test stand at Houston Spaceport as it pushes its rotating detonation rocket engine through increasingly demanding ground tests.
The new facility gives engineers more room to run higher-thrust firings and extend test durations. That allows Venus to examine how the engine behaves under conditions that more closely resemble flight.
The company demonstrated the capability on September 10 with a live hot-fire test at the newly opened stand. The event also brought together Texas aerospace officials, Houston leaders and representatives from the local space industry.
Bigger test envelope
Rotating detonation engines have attracted interest because they can produce combustion through rapidly moving detonation waves. That process differs from the combustion used in most conventional rocket engines…