Nuclear Fusion Startup Tests Rocket Fueled By Plastic Waste

A UK company with lofty aspirations around sustainable space travel has test-fired a rocket engine powered in part by plastic waste, Nick Lavars reported for New Atlas.

Photo Insert: Pulsar Fusion successfully test-fired its hybrid rocket at a UK Ministry of Defence military base in Salisbury last week.

Pulsar Fusion's hybrid rocket engine is part of an ambitious journey that also involves the development of nuclear fusion technology for high-speed propulsion, which could cut travel times to Mars in half.

The idea of incorporating recycled plastic waste into hybrid rocket fuels is something we have seen explored before. Virgin Galactic flirted with the idea back in 2014 through the use of a rocket powered by a fuel based on a class of thermoset plastics, though this was swiftly abandoned after a failed test flight.

Scottish company Skyrora is another outfit working on such a technology, having successfully tested out its Ecosene fuel made from converted plastic waste.

Pulsar Fusion is throwing its hat in the ring with a "green" rocket that uses a hybrid fuel consisting of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and nitrous oxide oxidizer, which is fed into the combustion chamber under regulated pressure through a control valve.

HDPE is used in a range of plastic products including bottles, piping and cutting boards, enabling plenty of opportunities to source and recycle this key ingredient of the fuel.

At the UK's Ministry of Defense military base in Salisbury last week, Pulsar Fusion completed the first static tests of its hybrid rocket engine.

According to the company, this generated the type of supersonic shock diamonds you'd see in a high temperature, high mass flow rate rocket exhaust, and resulted in a dramatic, fiery plume. It plans to follow this up with a demonstration for potential clients this week.

“We are delighted with the UK test firings. It is a hugely significant moment and we are proud this rocket is built in the UK," says Pulsar Fusion CEO Richard Dinan. "To have a British rocket test on UK soil is novel. Pulsar is among a very few companies around the world to have built and tested these technologies. We have a team of fantastic scientists with a wealth of experience to thank for these milestones."

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