Liquid Oxygen (LOX)+Liquid Methane (LNG) fueled rocket engine technology provides the opportunity to reduce the cost of space travel, space science, space exploration, etc.

Besides the cost advantage, other advantages of this technology include reusability, non-toxicity, environmental-friendliness, In-Situ-Resource-Utilization (ISRU), and higher performance.

1. Specification (Prototype)

     Length – 6.5 ft. 
     Weight – 360 lb. 
     Thrust (vacuum) – 22,000 lb. (10 metric-ton) 
     ISP (sea) – 277 sec.
     ISP (vacuum) – 321 sec. 
     Nozzle Expansion - 16.5
     Turbo machinery – 15 MPa (2,200 psi) 
     Regenerative Chamber and Nozzle Cooling

2. Features    

     Operability on commercial LNG
     Simple, robust design
     Reusability (estimated at over 10,000sec)
     Short purge and rapid turnaround time
     Non-coking

3. Advantages

Low-Cost

    Advanced manufacturing techniques and a simple, robust design makes DARMA's LOX+Methane engine the lowest cost alternative in its class

Re-usability

    The use of Methane as the propellant avoids the buildup of soot inside the combustion chamber and greatly increases the engine lifespan. DARMA's LOX+Methane engine's lifespan is estimated at about 10,000 seconds.

Reliability

     DARMA's LOX+Methane engine was designed with reliability as the highest priority. Generous design margins have been used throughout. Fuel feed and the combustion process are inherently stable. A rigorous testing process has been applied to the engine design all the way from concept proof to prototype. We have performed over 180 firing tests from 10 seconds to 200 seconds burn time.

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