Document Type

Article

Journal/Book Title/Conference

Engineering Proceedings

Author ORCID Identifier

Ryan J. Thibaudeau https://orcid.org/0009-0000-6483-2373

Stephen A. Whitmore https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4294-9065

Jared Coen https://orcid.org/0009-0000-7465-7724

Volume

142

Issue

1

Publisher

MDPI AG

Publication Date

7-16-2026

Journal Article Version

Version of Record

First Page

1

Last Page

13

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Abstract

Hybrid rocket engines (HREs), which pair a fluid oxidizer with a solid fuel, offer safety and handling advantages, can reduce environmental impact relative to selected legacy systems, and are capable of deep throttling and restart, making them strong candidates for “green” in-space propulsion applications. However, until very recently, there has not been any flight heritage of an HRE used in a spaceflight mission. Over the past decade, the Propulsion Research Laboratory at Utah State University (PRL-USU) has matured a portfolio of HRE technologies—low-energy arc ignition, digital throttling, additively manufactured sustainable fuels, the Nytrox green oxidizer, and electroplated thruster assemblies—that together address the historical barriers to spaceflight adoption. This paper summarizes that progress, describes two flight systems built upon it, and presents a roadmap for future applications.

Download

Share

COinS