JAXA Engine for Deep Space Travel

Akihabara News (Tokyo) — Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) recently announced that it has successfully tested the operation of the world’s first “rotating detonation engine” in space, a technology which could become a key to deep space travel.

The engine uses spinning explosions inside a ring channel, efficiently generating thrust coming from a small engine that uses little fuel.

The system was launched from the Uchinoura Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture on July 27 with a payload of 100 kilograms.

When the rocket was recovered from the ocean after the demonstration, it was discovered that the rotating detonation engine produced around 500 Newtons of thrust.

JAXA engineers believe that the successful in-space test proves that such engines are a step towards improved space navigation using less fuel and weight, as they show promise for extending the propulsion method for deep space travel.

Japan hopes to put the technology into practical use within five years.

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