dual-thrust rocket motor

From Spacefaring




In a dual-thrust solid propellant rocket engine, the propellant mass is composed of two different types (densities) of fuel. In the case of a tandem dual-thrust motor, the fuel nearest to the rocket nozzle burns fast, and the fuel further into the motor's body burns slower. This gives the rocket higher thrust initially, accelerating it rapidly to high speed. When all the fast-burning propellant has burnt, the slow-burning propellant delivers a lower level of thrust. The first phase of acceleration is called "boost" and the second phase "sustain". Not all dual-thrust motors are in a tandem arrangement but non-tandem motors function much the same; they just have a different physical layout of fuel. For example, they might burn from the inside to the outside, rather than from the end in.

    TypeSubtypeDateDescriptionNotesSource