Engineers from the private Russian company SR Space have created an innovative rocket engine powered by an oxygen-methane pair. This engine will be used to launch geophysical rockets into near space.

In addition to using advanced fuel (methane creates less soot, it is also quite cheap - so many companies in the world plan to switch to it in the future, including Roscosmos), the new engine is distinguished by the fact that fuel components are fed into the combustion chamber with the help of electric pumps. Finally, it is worth noting that many engine parts (including the combustion chamber) are printed on a 3D printer.

The engine tests will take place at the end of August - the beginning of September. So far, this is a pilot project, on the basis of which engines with greater thrust will be created.

As for the carriers, in the first stage SR Space plans to use the new engine in a geophysical rocket weighing about 500 kg - it will be able to carry up to 25 kg of payload up to a height of 100-150 km. The tests are planned to be completed within a year, and the first flight may take place in the fall of 2024.

At the next stage, they will create an ultra-light launch vehicle that will be able to launch 300-400 kg of payload into near-earth orbits.