Juno wins $1.2m NSF award for non-toxic detonation propulsion

(SpaceEnergy) Juno Propulsion has won a $1.2 million US National Science Foundation award to develop a near-production-ready in-space propulsion system using rotating detonation combustion and non-toxic propellants.

The Washington-based propulsion developer said the two-year Phase II Small Business Innovation Research programme will fund development of its Production Development Unit, targeting Technology Readiness Level 8.

Juno will work with the University of Washington's rotating detonation rocket engine laboratory to improve propellant utilisation and overall system mass, develop production and scaling plans and conduct full-system vacuum testing.

The company says its architecture is designed to deliver a 5-10% improvement in specific impulse over conventional chemical propulsion approaches while reducing system size, weight, power and cost.

Chief technology officer Ari Martinez said: “Phase II is about translating those results into a robust, manufacturable system”.

The programme follows a $275,000 Phase I award under which Juno reported stable detonation-wave operation, vacuum testing and combustion efficiency exceeding 100%.

Development of the production unit is intended to incorporate results from Project IRIS, Juno's planned in-orbit rotating-detonation propulsion demonstration. The company said the subsequent unit would provide the basis for pilot production