Reaction Dynamics, the Montreal area based rocket startup, has completed an important “pathfinder” test as it develops a unique hybrid rocket engine that would be used in Canada’s first orbital launch vehicle.
SpaceQ has been following the methodical progress of Reaction Dynamics since very early in its inception. The company was founded in 2016 and has been relatively quiet as it focuses on technology development.
Reaction Dynamics is taking a different approach to rocket engine development, focusing on proprietary hybrid propulsion technology that the company says will lower the cost to launch small payloads to orbit. As Canada has never had orbital launch capability, should they succeed in launching to orbit, it would mark an important and critical milestone in Canada’s space history, and provide the country with a Made in Canada solution it’s never had.
Thoughts on the test by Reaction Dynamics CEO
Bachar Elzein is the founder, CEO and Chief Technology Officer. I contacted him about the test which was completed on Thursday, March 25, 2021. He provided SpaceQ with an overview of the test and also provides some additional insights into his, and the companies thinking.
“The engine performed as designed. Basically, the purpose of this first iteration of our orbital-class rocket engine is to serve as a pathfinder with a few key objectives, chief among them is confirming design decisions and methodologies for high pressure/large-scale hybrid rocket engines. The success of this test gives us the green light to move on to the next stage; manufacturing of the flight iteration of this rocket engine, optimized. This flight iteration will generate a bit more thrust without being much heavier.”
“The parameters we wanted to test for Thursday’s test are tracked internally and are based on the technical development roadmap for our launch vehicle development and implementation. To summarize, this roadmap outlines the key milestones we need to achieve, and the core key technologies required for program success.”
“As an example, one of those key technologies is high-temperature seals design and flanges for the hybrid propulsion system, and this is what we wanted to validate during Thursday’s test. Typically, in high-performance rocket engines, the gaskets used to seal a high-temperature combustion chamber are made out of proprietary copper alloys. When we reached out to the leading supplier in the US to buy some for our engines, they declined because we are a non-US company. To overcome that issue, we had to work on an alternative and develop our own sealing method, our own methodology while working with local Canadian suppliers. Thursday’s test served that purpose; we got the validation we needed to feel confident that our methods to design a high-temperature/high-pressure seal works properly. Knowing that we used that same methodology to design the seals/flanges on the flight version, we felt comfortable initiating the production stage on that engine. We managed to validate the performance of the seal through the use of pressure transducers that we ported in some key locations in the combustion chamber. We confirmed that the engine is holding said pressures without leak and without loss of mass flow.”
“By developing our rocket engines in Canada, we are advancing the state of the art of orbital launch technologies while providing our country with a strategic launch capability. Space technologies and satellite data could impact and improve Canadians’ everyday lives while reinforcing the country’s national security. The company has been also working on high performance COPVs (composite overwrapped pressure vessel) for the past year, and recently acquired a filament winding unit to bring in-house their manufacturing. Same for embedded systems, avionics and ground support equipment. All developed in Canada, with Canadian HQP (Highly Qualified Personnel) and know how that Reaction Dynamics is pioneering, stimulating the Canadian economy.”
“Technology is on the cusp of significant revolutions. With the rise of AI, machine learning and data mining applications, there will be a premium on high-quality data. Space data is already used to monitor conflicts, maritime security and illegal fishing. But it also integral to the development of driverless cars, the mining industry and the monitoring and development of low carbon technologies (to name a few).”
“As the private sector investment in monitoring satellites skyrockets (no pun intended), so too will the amount of space data that is collected. With the appropriate analytical tools and enough processing power to crunch the numbers, that reservoir of information can be applied to an increasing number of industries and public interests, saving money, and making life better for all of us. Data is the new oil, and launch capabilities are like the highway we build to access that trillion-dollar economy. This needs to be done using Canadian technologies, with Canadian workforce, as it is the most efficient way to create jobs, while ensuring our access to such a strategic capability.”