March 8, 2022 (ATLANTA) – What benefits can the next evolution of liquid rocket propulsion provide? Can we bring cargo home from space affordably and more frequently? Dr. John Bradford and Tyler Kunsa from SpaceWorks Enterprises answered these two forward-leaning questions at the 2022 IEEE Aerospace Conference. The annual meeting was held at the Yellowstone Conference Center in Big Sky, Montana.
In presenting the technical paper “Performance and Business Case Impact Assessment for Launch Systems Utilizing RDRE Propulsion”, Dr. Bradford, Chief Technical Officer of SpaceWorks, discussed the advantages of switching from current engine technology to a rotating detonation rocket engine (RDRE) for propulsion. Several system-level improvements came to light: Launch providers can significantly increase the payload delivery capabilities for the same launcher when retrofit with RDRE propulsion. The improved performance lowers the overall cost-per-kilogram of payload to orbit thereby improving the overall competitiveness of the launcher in the marketplace. Alternatively, the cost-per-kilogram of the system could be maintained and the profit margins for the system increased by enabling the same launch system to deliver more payload. Sam Bornstein, Aerosciences Team Lead at SpaceWorks and Hayden Magill, Economic Analyst at SpaceWorks, co-authored the paper with Bradford.
In reviewing “Suborbital Drop Test to Demonstrate Autonomous Payload Recovery from Low Earth Orbit”, Tyler Kunsa, SpaceWorks’ Program Manager of the re-entry device (RED) business unit at the company, demonstrated through theory and practice how autonomous payload delivery capabilities will be used to make the return of space-based products more routine and cost efficient. In October of 2021, Kunsa’s team conducted a high-altitude flight test of SpaceWorks’ RED-4U entry system, employing an autonomously guided parafoil to maneuver the device with high precision to a target landing location. Dr. Ben León, Research Engineer at the Earthly Dynamics Corporation, and Dr. John Bradford co-authored the paper with Kunsa.
About Dr. John R. Bradford
Dr. John Bradford is President and Chief Technical Officer (CTO) of SpaceWorks Enterprises in Atlanta, Georgia. His expertise is in systems analysis, multidisciplinary design optimization, and assessment of future space systems. Prior to joining SpaceWorks, Dr. Bradford worked at both NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, AL and Aerojet in Sacramento, CA. He received his Doctorate and Master’s Degree in Aerospace Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. At Georgia Tech, he was the recipient of a NASA Graduate Student Researchers Program (GSRP) Fellowship. He also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from North Carolina State University. He is a Senior Member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), a NASA Academy (NAAA) alumnus, a Steering Committee member and judge for NASA’s RASC-AL student design competition, and a regular guest speaker at science fiction conventions.
About Tyler Kunsa
About SpaceWorks Enterprises
SpaceWorks Enterprises, Inc. (SEI), based in Atlanta, GA, specializes in advanced concept analysis, systems engineering, product development, and economic consulting for a broad and diverse customer base. SpaceWorks is dedicated to advancing the state-of-the-art in the aerospace industry, from the early design phase to rapid prototyping and flight demonstration.
