Rocket Engine Project
The space industry is experiencing significant growth, with a current value of 500 billion USD. It is projected to surpass a trillion USD by 2030. Unfortunately, Uganda and the broader East African region face challenges in accessing space due to the high barriers of entry which are technical and costly. This limitation hinders technological progress and economic growth in the area. The absence of a local space launch capability restricts the region’s full participation in the expanding space economy, which presents opportunities for scientific research, telecommunications, industrialization, and economic development.
To address this need, NileOrbital Aerospace has embarked on the development of an Ox-Ethanol rocket engine. The company’s ultimate objective is to establish a commercial space launch capability in East Africa. Leveraging its expertise and resources, NileOrbital Aerospace aims to pioneer the creation of affordable and reliable launch vehicles capable of deploying payloads into low Earth orbit, thus granting Uganda the access it needs to space.
The short term objective of the project is to develop a 3.6kN OX-Ethanol rocket engine that can withstand 20 static fires without parts replacement. Initial designs of the engine have been developed by Ryan Sendege with the help of Prabhat Phondeker, a space scientist from India.
