80 lbf-thrust GOX/methanol rocket	450 lbf nitrous oxide/methanol ejector rocket	MAV 500 lbf-thrust engine layout
MAV 500 lbf-thrust engine rendering	Methane/GOX thruster	Aerospikes

The 80-pound thrust rocket and the 450-pound thrust rocket were in the same evolutionary path... the 80 pounder was the first, the 450 pounder was the last. In between, thrust increased, engine design simplified and weight increased only marginally. These engines were ablatively cooled (but easily refurbished), and served as the basis for the ejector ramjet program at Pioneer Astronautics. In all, more than 100 firings were made with only a handful of "incidents," none of which were catastrophic.

The MAV engine designs were produced under contract to NASA to power a proposed two-stage Mars Ascent Vehicle. These were high-efficiency, low-chamber pressure designs utilizing ablative chambers.

The methane/oxygen thruster was produced under contract to NASA-KSC in only four weeks, from sketch to test. This small (thrust: 10 lbf sea level, 25 lbf vacuum) rocket was intended for demonstration on the Martian surface using propellants (oxygen and methane) produce in situ. Cooling was a combination of radiative and some regen. This final project for Pioneer Astronautics went extremely smoothly, demonstrating that the team had the needed skills. Two successful test firings were performed before the rocket was shipped to the customer.

A & E Engineering is currently at work on several aerospike engine designs, everything from detailed design of a benchtop demonstrator under contract, to conceptual design of large launch vehicle propulsion systems. Several proprietary efforts are underway to design, build and test novel, low-cost aerospike engines for flight demonstration.

A & E Engineering is capable of designing rocket engines to your specifications, anything from small cold-gas thrusters to large booster engines. The level of detail is up to you; anything from conceptual design on up to drawings ready to take to the machinist. The staff of A & E Engineering would also be happy to build and test your engine for you. Current facilities can handle up to several hundred pounds of thrust; increased thrust levels are possible with an improvement in facilities (this is currently planned).

Contact A & E Engineering to get a quote on the work you need done on your rocket.

Main Pagehere.
Ejector ramjets here.
Vehicle design here.
Upper stage design here.
Technical consulting for science fictionhere.
Display models/mockups here.
Aircraft/Spacecraft Historical Research here.

A & E Engineering
7521 W. 8th Pl.
Lakewood, CO 80215