Hybrid rocket successfully tested

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EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFPN) --  A large hybrid rocket motor was successfully fired on its test stand here recently.

The test took place on a Air Force Research Laboratory test stand overlooking Edwards’ dry lake bed and surrounding Mojave Desert. The test was part of the Air Force small launch vehicle office’s Falcon program.

The program is a 36-month long effort to develop and demonstrate an affordable and responsive space lift launcher capable of placing a small, 1,000-pound satellite into a circular orbit of 100 nautical miles.

The hybrid rocket differs from liquid fueled and solid propellant fueled rockets, because it combines technologies from both types of launchers. Typically, a hybrid rocket uses a rubberized fuel and liquid oxygen to generate thrust, officials said.

The research site encompasses 65 square miles of Edwards AFB. Its unique research and development facilities provide state-of-the-art capabilities for researchers who provide the nation with the latest rocket propulsion technology possible.