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In December 2024, the world witnessed a landmark event in the aerospace industry—the successful testing of a revolutionary wedge-air rocket engine (WRE) designed using artificial intelligence. This breakthrough, achieved by the company LEAP 71, opens new horizons for space exploration and commercial launches.
What is a Wedge-Air Engine?
The wedge-air engine, also known as an aerospike engine, is a type of rocket engine that uses a wedge-shaped nozzle to adapt to changing atmospheric pressure conditions. Unlike traditional engines with bell-shaped nozzles, the WRE does not have a rigid outer wall. Instead, one of the nozzle walls is formed by the surrounding airflow, allowing the engine to maintain high efficiency at all stages of flight—from liftoff to space vacuum.
Advantages of the Technology
- Altitude Adaptability: The WRE automatically adjusts the parameters of the exhaust gas stream depending on atmospheric pressure. This saves up to 25-30% of fuel at low altitudes, where maximum thrust is required.
- Compactness: Thanks to its unique design, the engine is more compact than traditional models, simplifying its integration into spacecraft.
- Efficiency: The use of cryogenically cooled oxygen and kerosene ensures a high combustion temperature (up to 3500°C) and significant thrust (5000 N).
Development Using AI
A key factor in the success was the development of the engine using artificial intelligence (AI) called Noyron. In just three weeks, the neural network calculated the optimal geometry of the engine, including complex cooling channels filled with cryogenic oxygen. This made it possible to create a prototype manufactured using selective laser melting from a copper alloy, CuCrZr.
Testing and Results
The fire tests took place on December 18, 2024, in the UK. The engine demonstrated stable operation for 11 seconds, confirming its efficiency and reliability. The data obtained will be used for further AI training and preparation for larger-scale tests in 2025.
Prospects for Application
Wedge-air engines could become the foundation for single-stage space systems capable of delivering payloads into orbit without the need for multiple stages. This would significantly reduce launch costs and simplify rocket design.
The development and successful testing of the wedge-air rocket engine mark a new stage in the space industry. Thanks to its adaptability, efficiency, and use of advanced technologies, such engines could become a key element of future missions to Mars and beyond.
This breakthrough not only demonstrates the potential of artificial intelligence in engineering but also opens up new opportunities for space exploration, making it more accessible and economically viable.
Conclusions, Assumptions, and Future Perspectives on the Wedge-Air Rocket Engine
Conclusions
- Technological Breakthrough: The successful testing of the wedge-air rocket engine (WRE) confirmed its high efficiency and adaptability. This proves that such engines could become a viable alternative to traditional rocket engines.
- Role of AI: The use of artificial intelligence in the engine’s development significantly accelerated the design and optimization process. This opens new opportunities for applying AI to other complex engineering challenges.
- Economic Benefits: The WRE allows for fuel savings and simplifies rocket design, which could lead to reduced costs for space launches.
Assumptions
- Mass Adoption: Within the next 10-15 years, wedge-air engines could become the standard for commercial and scientific space missions.
- Single-Stage Systems: Thanks to their efficiency, WREs could form the basis for single-stage rockets capable of delivering payloads into orbit without the need for multiple stages.
- Interplanetary Missions: The adaptability and high efficiency of WREs make them ideal candidates for missions to Mars and other planets.
Future Perspectives
- Space Tourism: Reduced launch costs could make space tourism more accessible to a broader audience.
- Planetary Colonization: WREs could become a key component in creating transportation systems for the colonization of Mars and other celestial bodies.
- AI Development: The success of AI in engine development will stimulate further advancements in artificial intelligence for engineering and other fields.
- Sustainability: The use of cryogenic oxygen and kerosene makes the engine more environmentally friendly compared to traditional rocket fuels.
Conclusion
The wedge-air rocket engine is not just a technological achievement but a step toward a new era of space exploration. Its implementation could change the game in the aerospace industry, making space missions more accessible, efficient, and safe. The future, in which humanity actively explores and colonizes other planets, is becoming increasingly tangible thanks to such innovations.
