Curie (rocket engine)

Curie Engine
Country of origin New Zealand
Designer Rocket Lab
Manufacturer Rocket Lab
Application Upper/kick stage
Status In production
Liquid-fuel engine
Propellant Monopropellant
Configuration
Chamber 1
Performance
Thrust (vac.) 27 lbf (120 N)
Restarts multiple
Used in
Electron

Curie is a liquid-propellant rocket engine designed in New Zealand by Rocket Lab and manufactured in the United States. It uses a "green" monopropellant as its propellant and is used for the third stage/kicker stage of the Electron rocket. It produces 120 N (27 lbf) of thrust, and currently has an unreleased specific impulse.[1]

It was first used on 21 January 2018 during Rocket Lab's first successful orbital rocket launch, and helped to boost two small cubesats, the weather and ship-tracking Lemur-2 CubeSats built by the company Spire Global, into a circular orbit.

Description

The Curie engine, named after Polish scientist Marie Curie, is a small liquid-propellant rocket engine designed to release "small satellites from the constricting parameters of primary payload orbits and enables them to fully reach their potential, including faster deployment of small satellite constellations and better positioning for Earth imaging".[1] It is equipped with its own reaction control system, avionics, power, and communication systems. It produces 120 N (27 lbf) of thrust and is 3D printed.[2]

During its first mission, it coasted for roughly 40 minutes after successfully deploying an Earth-imaging Dove satellite built by the company Planet, and then ignited. [2] During the first launch of the stage, the stage was left in orbit. However, Rocket Lab mentioned that future launches would have the stage deorbited after releasing their payloads to prevent addition to space debris.[3]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Rocket Lab successfully circularizes orbit with new Electron kick stage | Rocket Lab". Rocket Lab. Retrieved 2018-01-23.
  2. 1 2 "Rocket Lab Reveals Secret Engine and "Kick Stage" for the Electron Rocket". Popular Mechanics. 2018-01-23. Retrieved 2018-01-23.
  3. ↑ "Rocket Lab's test launch carried two previously-unannounced passengers – Spaceflight Now". spaceflightnow.com. Retrieved 2018-01-30.
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