STATUS REPORT ON THE LIQUID-SOLID ROCKET

A liquid fuel, such as gasoline or kerosene, is injected into a chamber containing a solid inorganic oxidizer, such as ammonium nitrate, ammonium perchlorate or potassium perchlorate, the surface of which has been heated to its decomposition temperature. The resultant reaction raises the chamber pressure and temperature, and the hot gases are expelled through a nozzle to provide the desired thrust. In the course of an experimental program, various inorganic oxidizer compositions have been successfully fabricated and small-scale liquid-solid rockets have been tested sufficiently to demonstrate their feasibility. The results of the study indicate that the combined liquid- solid rocket is feasible, and that it shows promise of development into a reliable and regulatable propulsion unit which will give performance comparable with that of liquid or solid rockets.