Creating a “hypersonic reaction chamber” inside a modified jet engine, the system could allow for speeds reaching 13,000 miles per hour, or Mach 17.
According to the study, near future propulsion will still rely on either chemical or nuclear-based systems.
This means that we will still travel using exothermic reactions via some form of combustion wave.
In straightforward terms, something inside the engine goes ‘boom,’ creating high-pressure exhaust, which pushes the vehicle along an intense wave.
To maintain high speeds, you need to generate many explosions quickly, and you burn a lot of fuel doing it.
To make this type of propulsion useful, the detonation needs to be sustained for a more extended period.
He believes that this “high-power and more efficient rocket propulsion technology in a smaller form makes space travel more economical.”. »
