Current Projects
Helios
The propulsion system for Nexus, our lander. Machined and brazed in-house rather than 3D printed, built for deep throttle and a wide gimbal range.
Built for the Lander, Not 3D Printed
Helios is a 600 lbf LOX/Ethanol regen-cooled engine. Unlike Hyperion, Helios isn't 3D printed, it's machined and brazed together. That lets us pump out more engines in-house to test without worrying about lead times from outside manufacturers. The entire engine is aluminum, which also keeps the cost extremely low.
Aiming for Zero Film Cooling
Even though it's aluminum, we hope to run Helios with 0% film cooling. For comparison, Hyperion runs at 10% film cooling, which cuts into performance quite a bit. Getting film cooling down to zero on an aluminum engine is an ambitious target, and it's a big part of what makes Helios a step forward from Hyperion.
Deep Throttle, Wide Gimbal
Helios can deep throttle down to 7% of max throttle, using a mix of throttle valves and custom electronic pressure regulators. It also has a wide gimbal range of 15 degrees. That combination, large TVC angle plus deep throttle range, is exactly what makes it a good fit for a landing vehicle like Nexus.