For more than 50 years, the scientific community has been working toward the development of a type of engine called an aerospike. This engine promises to automatically adjust its efficiency in different environments, working well both in Earth’s atmosphere and in the vacuum of space. Although scientists have tested the aerospike concept several times on the ground, they’ve never taken it beyond the lab.
Polaris is determined to overcome this hurdle once and for all. The German company completed testing of its MIRA-Light spaceplane demonstrator in September 2023. The vehicle was intended to test aerodynamics and flight control for the flight of MIRA I, the world’s first test aircraft with an aerospike engine. However, things went wrong.
In Search of Second Chances
The initial test ended in failure: The 14-foot-long MIRA I crashed before Polaris engineers could collect any performance data on the promising engine. Despite this setback, the company moved swiftly to the next stage. It chose to test its aerospike engine on the MIRA II and MIRA III models, which have identical fuselages and are 16.4 feet long.
Polaris recently received the fiberglass structures of the MIRA II and MIRA III and subsequently announced the commencement of assembly and integration of all components. Each aircraft will have four turbines and a linear aerospike rocket engine. Additionally, flight testing is scheduled to commence in September, although the company hasn’t announced a specific date yet.
Fuselages for the MIRA II and MIRA III at a Polaris facility.
In addition to the assembly process, Polaris also needed authorization to fly its new vehicles. If the tests are successful, they’ll be a significant milestone in the development of these promising aerospike engines.
Rocketdyne XRS-2200, a NASA experimental linear aerospike engine, during a test on Aug. 6, 2001.
Polaris isn’t alone in this project. In fact, it has some significant backing. The company has a defense contract with the German Armed Forces. If everything goes according to plan, we could see NOVA fly in 2025. NOVA is Polaris’ 26-foot-long aircraft that will serve as a prototype for a commercial product.
Meanwhile, other companies are also working on similar technology.
For example, Spain’s Pangea Aerospace is a notable player in this field. The company aims to become “the Rolls Royce of the space sector” and has recently achieved a significant milestone by manufacturing a two-piece aerospike engine prototype in just 15 days using 3D printing techniques. The company is expanding and has dozens of employees located between Barcelona and Toulouse, France.
Image | Polaris
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