2023-12-13 17:09:08
Japan has successfully tested a prototype rocket fueled by liquid bio-methane (LBM) extracted from dung. The experiment was conducted by Interstellar Technologies, a Japanese space startup. Static fire test was conducted. This is a fuel test in which the rocket ignites its engine without launching it.
The test took place at the Haikaido Spaceport Launch Complex in Taiki, Hokkaido, Japan.
In the test, the engine was fired for 10 seconds. The experiment was conducted using biomethane extracted from manure collected from indigenous dairy farms in Japan. Scientists have suggested that it is an environmentally friendly fuel. The fuel was developed by Interstellar Technologies in collaboration with Air Water, a Japanese company.
Air Water has a power generation network in the Hokkaido Tokachi region. This is where biogas is converted into liquid bio-methane.
Along with liquid biomethane, liquid methane is used as propellant in this rocket. This fuel blend has low cost, fuel efficiency, availability and environmental friendliness. Apart from liquid methane, it is also used in aerospace companies. It is also used in SpaceX’s largest rocket project, Starship.
This rocket has a two stage design. It also has a device called pintle injector. A mixture of fuel and oxidizer is fed into the combustion chamber in a controlled quantity by means of a pindle injector. This technology is also used in SpaceX engines.
The combustion chamber for the new rocket was built in collaboration with the University of Tokyo and the Japanese Space Agency. The launch test of this rocket will take place in 2025. It can be used to put satellites into low orbit.
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