Gloyer-Taylor Laboratories has developed a variety of propulsion components, systems and technologies, some of which are shown below:

The low-cost, high-performance PA-E15k rocket engine (LOX/RP-1) was developed by PacAstro as the upperstage engine for the PA-2 small launch vehicle and was used as the engine for the PA-X suborbital rocket.  The PA-E15k engine incorporates several innovative technologies to achieve high-performance and low-cost in a robust package, including a liquid oxygen cooled injector and an ablatively cooled chamber. 

 

PA-E Liquid Rocket Engine

Project Gallery — Propulsion

Gloyer-Taylor Laboratories LLC

Elegant Solutions to Complex Problems

This Using a combination of commercial IR&D and Phase I & II SBIR funds, PacAstro developed the 33 ft long, 3 ft diameter PA-X suborbital rocket as a technology demonstration vehicle.  Some of the innovative technologies in PA-X included:

•   A simple, low-cost pressure-fed propellant feed system

•   A high-performance 3 ft diameter, 19 cu ft volume, 5000 psi carbon/epoxy composite helium tank with integral skirt

•   A 3 ft diameter, 19 cu ft volume, plastic-lined, carbon/epoxy composite fuel tank with integral skirt

•   A high-performance, 3 ft diameter, 33 cu ft volume, 500 psi composite LOX tank with an aluminum liner and carbon/epoxy overwrap, with an integral skirt.

•   Low-cost composite fairing and tail structures

•   Low-cost, high-performance 15,000 lbf thrust PA-E rocket engine

In addition to the design and fabrication effort, the PA-X performance was extensively analyzed, including wind-tunnel testing of a subscale model, trajectory simulations, and flight dispersion analyses in support of Range Safety at White Sands.

Developed over the course of three years, the PA-X flight vehicle was fully designed and 60% assembled when the program was halted due to the Presidential line-item-veto of the Military Space Plane, less than six months from scheduled launch.  While PA-X was not flown, the effort verified the capabilities of many of the innovative technologies, including the successful cycling of a sub-scale aluminum-lined, carbon/epoxy overwrapped LOX tank.

PA-X Suborbital Rocket

In the mid-90’s, PacAstro was actively developing the PA-2 small launch vehicle.  While PA-2 specific hardware was not produced, key technologies were demonstrated in the PA-E and PA-X development efforts.  Development of the PA-2 was put on hold in the late 90’s due to funding constraints and a realization that a $6M per launch price was too high to effectively change the space launch market paradigm.

Key features of the PA-2 Small Launch Vehicle were:

· Two-stage, LOX/RP-1 vehicle

· Composite fuel, LOX and Helium tanks

· Helium pressure fed system

· Upperstage Engine = PA-E15k

· Boosterstage Engine = PA-E120k

PA-2 Small Launch Vehicle

Gloyer-Taylor Laboratories is developing a new high performance, safe monopropellant, GTV.  This propellant offers the potential for a specific impulse greater than 300 sec, while being safe to handle and store.  Initial proof-of-concept tests have been completed and we are preparing for more extensive testing.

GTV Monopropellant

Initially designed with commercial IR&D funding, the Phase I & II SBIR effort was funded by Edwards AFRL for the developmental testing.  During the course of the development effort, the PA-E15k engine was test fired 80 times at Edwards AFB.  This testing verified the high-performance (>96% C* efficiency) and robustness of the engine. 

In parallel with the successful PA-E15k development and test effort, the engine design was modified to operate at higher chamber pressures.  While the resulting PA-E30k engine was not test fired, a prototype of the engine was fabricated and is in our inventory.