Starliner's helium headache becomes China’s missile miracle: Study
Chinese researchers unveil how helium can improve solid-fuel rocket motors and enhance propulsion efficiency and stealth.
interestingengineering.com
Chinese researchers have reportedly made a breakthrough in missile and rocket propulsion inspired by flaws in Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.
They found that helium could enhance efficiency and thrust while also reducing exhaust temperatures.
The discovery was allegedly inspired by issues with Starliner, which have left two NASA astronauts stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) since June 2024.
This issue is helium leakage from the spacecraft. At the time of writing, plans are afoot to return the astronauts sometime in the first quarter of 2025.
Helium is commonly used to help pressurize fuel systems, but these leaks have effectively paralyzed the spacecraft. Building on this, a team of Chinese scientists at Harbin Engineering University found a way to inject helium into solid-fuel rocket motors, improving thrust and stealth capabilities.
They found that this technique effectively tripled the thrust of solid-fuel rockets on demand. The team also discovered that adding helium dramatically reduced the rocket’s exhaust temperature.
NASA’s problem is China’s solution
This could, in theory, help reduce the chances of such rockets being detected by infrared sensors. According to the researchers, since helium is an ultralight gas (having a density of 0.166 kg/m 3 or 4 g/mol), it can expand rapidly when injected into a rocket’s combustion chamber.
If this injection is precisely controlled (about 1 part to 4 helium to combustion gases) through tiny 2mm pores, impressive results can be achieved. The team found that the rocket’s specific impulse efficiency was increased by 5.77% by doing this.
Furthermore, they found that the rocket engine received 300% more thrust on demand. They also found that the exhaust temperature was reduced by 2420.6°F (1,327°C), making the plume much more challenging to detect by heat-seeking sensors.
Moreover, the team reports that the flight will remain smooth. Helium’s inert nature avoids combustion instability, unlike volatile alternatives such as hydrogen.
The research team, led by aerospace researcher Yang Zenan, published their interesting findings in the journal Acta Aeronautica et Astronautica Sinica this month. The concept was tested using computer simulation.
This matters as modern missile defense systems, like SpaceX’s Starshield satellites and the SM-3 Block IIA interceptor, rely on detecting hot rocket plumes. Helium could provide a means of circumventing such systems, improving missile survivability.
Potential applications of helium rockets
The ability to adjust thrust in real-time from 100% to 313% could allow missiles to change speeds unpredictably, making them harder to intercept. The method could also be applied to solid-fuel space launch systems, allowing quick, cost-effective deployment of satellites.
If reports on this breakthrough are accurate, this could significantly advance Chinese missile capabilities, especially in hypersonic warfare. However, there are also critical potential benefits outside of military technology.
For example, it also has potential civilian applications in space travel, making rockets more efficient and cost-effective. According to the researchers, the technology could also be used on fast-response solid-fuel rockets to launch satellites at a lower cost, a capability urgently needed by the military.
The timing and nature of this breakthrough could escalate military competition between the U.S. and China, especially in missile defense and hypersonic technology.
