While NASA struggles with helium leaks on its Starliner spacecraft, Chinese researchers have found a novel way to use this gas to improve missile performance. This discovery could revolutionize space and military technologies.
Helium, used to pressurize rocket fuel systems, is often a source of technical complications. However, a team of Chinese scientists has managed to harness its properties to increase the efficiency of solid propellant engines. Their work, published in
Acta Aeronautica et Astronautica Sinica, reveals promising advances in propulsion and stealth.
An innovation with multiple benefits
Injecting helium into rocket engines significantly increases thrust while reducing the temperature of exhaust gases. This technique, tested through simulation, shows a 5.77% improvement in specific impulse and a threefold increase in thrust. Moreover, the gas temperature drops by 1,327°C (2,420°F), making missiles less detectable by infrared systems.
The researchers discovered that helium, injected through microscopic pores of 2 mm, effectively mixes with combustion gases. This process, carried out at an optimal ratio of 1 part helium to 4 parts gas, improves combustion stability. Unlike other gases such as hydrogen, inert helium avoids instabilities while optimizing performance.
Finally, this technology offers unprecedented flexibility. Missiles could adjust their thrust in real time, ranging from 100% to 313% of their initial capacity. This ability to modify speed in flight greatly complicates their interception, while opening up prospects for more economical and responsive space launches.
Military and space applications
This technology could allow for a rethinking of missile design by enabling them to modify their speed in flight, thus complicating interception. It could also reduce the costs of space launches by improving the efficiency of solid-propellant rockets. Researchers are already envisioning applications for satellites and lunar missions.
In the military field, this breakthrough could give rise to a new generation of stealth missiles, capable of evading current defense systems. By reducing the thermal signature of exhaust gases, these missiles would become almost undetectable by infrared satellites such as those in SpaceX's Starshield project. This would significantly enhance their operational effectiveness.
In the space domain, this innovation could facilitate launches and thus the rapid deployment of satellites, meeting growing communication and observation needs. It could also play a key role in Chinese lunar missions, planned for 2035, by reducing costs and increasing the reliability of launchers. This technology thus opens up new prospects for exploration and defense.
To go further: What is a thermal signature?
The thermal signature corresponds to the temperature difference of an object relative to its environment, such as a missile or an aircraft. It is often detected by infrared sensors, used to identify and track military targets. A reduced thermal signature makes an object harder to spot.
The exhaust gases from rocket or missile engines are a major source of heat. By cooling these gases, their infrared radiation is reduced, making the craft less visible to detection systems. This is an essential aspect for the stealth of modern weapons.
Article author: Cédric DEPOND