CycloRP fuel detonates in Venus rotating detonation engine

(SpaceEnergy) CycloKinetics' proposed drop-in replacement for RP-1 and RP-2 has successfully detonated during hot-fire testing in a Venus Aerospace rotating detonation rocket engine.

CycloKinetics and Venus Aerospace said on 1 September that the first round of testing, completed in July, evaluated CycloRP's combustion performance and confirmed that the fuel successfully detonated in Venus' rotating detonation rocket engine (RDRE).

CycloKinetics describes CycloRP as a domestically produced, higher-energy-density replacement for conventional RP-1 and RP-2 hydrocarbon rocket fuels designed to work in existing engines without modification.

A second test round will assess CycloRP as an engine coolant by circulating the fuel through the RDRE and comparing its thermal-management performance with RP-1 and RP-2.

The companies expect to publish a fuller technical readout covering both rounds in early 2027.

The programme is sponsored by the US Air Force Research Laboratory and backed by the US Department of War's Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering.

Venus says its flight-proven RDRE architecture is intended for defence and space applications and is designed to improve propulsion efficiency, range and scalability.