Electric Solid (& liquid) Propellants

[Skye]

Video on the idea! Seems useful!



From wiki:

“Electric solid propellants
Electric solid propellants (ESPs) are a family of high performance plastisol solid propellants that can be ignited and throttled by the application of electric current. Unlike conventional rocket motor propellants that are difficult to control and extinguish, ESPs can be ignited reliably at precise intervals and durations. It requires no moving parts and the propellant is insensitive to flames or electrical sparks.”

Couldn’t find much info on the liquid version (called GEM)

[sdsds]

For me the interesting applications of something like electric solids are precision high-thrust maneuvers conducted days (weeks/months) after launch. Think lunar orbit insertion or Mars orbit insertion. That might be done with storable bipropellants which have historically been toxic and/or carcinogenic. 'Green' storables are being developed though. And Intuitive Machines have now demonstrated using cryogenic propellants after the trans-lunar coast, though getting cryogen boil-off rates close to zero for something like Mars orbit insertion seems like it would take active cooling which adds parasitic mass. The video presenter immediately dismissed hybrid propellant solutions but those also provide the storability, thrust and controllability for something like LOI.