A variable-thrust solid-propellant rocket engine with local combustion boosting

A variable-thrust solid-propellant rocket engine (SPRE) with local combustion boosting by a catalytic grating (heat knife) was designed and the basic principles of operation were substantiated. A judicious heat-knife design was chosen, which ensured acceptable steady-state and dynamic characteristics of the SPRE. The engine was studied experimentally. The realizability and satisfactory performance of the variable-thrust SPRE with a heat knife on a composite non-metallized propellant were confirmed.