Rocket Engines
Our rocket engines are built to customer specifications.  Below is a selection of engines that illustrate some of our capabilities.  Click on any engine class to learn more.

• XR-2P1 15 lbf N2O-Ethane
  R&D and educational, variable propellants and third fluid injections
   
• XR-3E17 56 lbf N2O-Ethane
  Stationkeeping - storable
   
• XR-3B4 50 lbf N2O-Isopropyl
  Stationkeeping - storable
  
  
• XR-3M9 50 lbf LOX-Methane
  Stationkeeping - storable
   
• XR-4A3 400 lbf LOX-Alcohol
  Auxilliary or primary propulsion
   
• XR-4K14 1,500 lbf LOX-Kerosene
  Primary propulsion, 'Rocket Racer' engine
   
• XR-4K5 1,800 lbf LOX-Kerosene
  Primary propulsion
   
• XR-5M15 7,500 lbf LOX-Methane
  Primary propulsion, space storable

Click here to visit the XR-3B4 media gallery

XR-3B4, 50 lbf N2O/alcohol NRO Engine

This engine resulted from a National Reconnaissance Office contract to develop a long-life, multi-start, 50lbf maneuvering rocket based on non-toxic propellants. The approach that we selected used regenerative cooling with nitrous oxide and isopropyl alcohol propellants. For this engine, XCOR designed, built, and tested a dual-cooled chamber with high temperature tolerance that employed both fuel and oxidizer as coolant.

This design demonstrated significantly enhanced heat transfer to the oxidizer – where roughly half the total waste heat is transferred to the oxidizer – and demonstrated sufficient heat transfer for long-term engine operation. With this project, we achieved a prototype, regeneratively cooled 50 lb thrust engine with unlimited lifetime, and gained experience in stability and chamber design lessons that we have applied to our other engine developments.