LΛUNCHER

This is what 99%+ combustion efficiency looks like for LOX/Kerosene.  

Thanks to LOX cooling, E-2 doesn't require chamber film cooling.  Paired with a highly efficient injector, combustion efficiency and specific impulse are maximized, boosting payload capacity and unlocking more value from every mission to orbit.

E-2 has achieved steady expander cycle mode.

In this test video, 30 seconds of expander cycle mode are demonstrated on the tail end of an 80-second test fire that began in Ox-Rich Staged Combustion (ORSC) mode. In expander mode, thrust was reduced from 23,000 lbf to 6,500 lbf, corresponding to a 28% throttle setting.

To our knowledge E-2 is the first kerolox rocket engine to demonstrate a transition from ORSC to expander cycle operation on the same hardware during a test fire, thanks to our LOX cooled combustion chamber. This low throttle capability could be useful for landing burns by reducing thrust to weight ratio and providing greater flexibility to correct deviations from the planned landing trajectory.

A six-minute E-2 test fire has been completed successfully as the team develops systems for E-2 Vacuum. This test demonstrated the propulsion system's ability to sustain a representative burn duration needed to raise spacecraft to higher energy orbits. The engine operated at nominal conditions, including the first 200 seconds at 102 bar chamber pressure while gimbaling.

Propellants: LOX/Kerosene
Thrust: 23k lbf (10.4 tf)
Isp Sea Level: 290 s
Isp Vacuum (SL nozzle): 327 s
Isp E-2 Vacuum: 365 s
Cycle: Ox-Rich Staged Combustion

The E-2 Program has surpassed 10,000 sec of cumulative engine run time! 💪

This milestone demonstrates the maturity of our development program as we advance toward engine qualification.

In this test, the engine continued to demonstrate high-performance operation with:

100 bar chamber pressure
2.62 mixture ratio
Refined gimbal profile
Successful test fire of an alternative, lower-cost fuel

Blue diamonds gimbaling! 👈 💎 👉

E-2 is the highest performance LOX/kerosene rocket engine in the small launch class.