Commercial Space Flight Takes Another Step

The Canadian Arrow team has announced that it is set to test the largest liquid propellant engine ever built in Canada. The Arrow engine will be tested on Thursday, February 20th at a gravel pit north of London, Ontario.

The Canadian Arrow is a passenger space vehicle that is being built to compete for the $10 million X-Prize.

The engine, with 57,000 pounds of thrust, is modeled after the V-2 rocket engine.

Getting Closer

The test is one of a number of ramping-up trials, which will gradually increase and test the powerful engine that will one day fly passengers into sub-orbital space.

On February 20th,at 1 p.m. the Canadian Arrow team will take the engine to about 30% of its capacity or 20,000 to 30,000 lbs. of thrust. The engine is fueled by a mixture of liquid oxygen and ethyl alcohol and consumes approximately 250 pounds of propellant per second.

The engine and test stand are part of an approximately 50 ft. tall structure that is surrounded on three sides by concrete walls that are two feet thick. Large beams stand between the engine test structure and the control center where the team will electronically direct and monitor the test.

"We were pleased with the success of our first burner cup test last summer," said Canadian Arrow Team Leader Geoff Sheerin. "Now, we’ll see how the 18 burner cups that make up our main engine, function together."

FMI: www.canadianarrow.com, www.xprize.org