WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — A group of Purdue University
students is moving ahead with a project to test a new, more
environmentally friendly rocket propellant.
The students have
partnered with rocket maker Aerojet Rocketdyne to try to demonstrate
that the new propellant can replace hydrazine, a highly toxic fuel
that’s often used for rocket launches.
The Purdue Green Propellant
Suborbital Test will be launched by NASA’s Flight Opportunities Program
on a commercial suborbital rocket flight. Such flights allow testing of
spaceflight technologies during weightlessness. The goal is to properly
control the propellant in weightlessness so it flows properly inside
fuel tanks.
The Purdue flight will test the technical readiness of
a new green propellant developed by the U.S. Air Force Research
Laboratory.