The CEO of ex-manianegroup CEO helps Pangea to construct 3D-printed aerospace rocket engines

Aerospike rocket engines are the legend in the space industry. In the 1960s, its unique design with spiked nozzle promises better efficiency, reusability and performance at all heights. But their complexity – and the switch off Of the most important space programs towards the end of the 20th century – she never meant to the mainstream.

But now startups dust old designs and use new technologies to revive aerospace engines for modern space travel. One of these activities is Spain Pangea Aerospace.

Pangea was founded in 2018 and operated most of his seven -year history under the radar. But today the company A announced 23 million € series a financing round that improves the development of its 3D printed aerospike rocket engine.

André-Hubert Roussel, former CEO of Arianegroup, was among the investors, who supervised the development of the only heavy rocket in Europe. Ariane 6. Roussel came to Pangaa's board last year.

“It is incredibly valuable that such a number invests in our next phase of growth and advises us ” Xavier Llairó told TNW.

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Roussel praised the company's plans LinkedIn. “Strong team, strong technology, builds up the future of space drive, ”he said.

An Aerospike rocket revolution?

In 2021, Pangea successfully carried out a HOT FIRE test from Demo-P1, the world's first aerospike methalox engine worldwide.

“We have tacitly achieved breakthroughs Cooling techniques, additive manufacturing and material science that now pay off, ”said Llairó. “We are sure that we can produce aerospace engines at low costs.”

Pangea, the headquarters in Barcelona, ​​Spain and Toulouse, France, has most of his focus on Arcos and is planned for the world's first flight-ready Aerospike engine.

Arcos is designed in such a way that they are reused up to 10 times and supply both a rocket amplifier and the upper stage. And like the demo-P1 it will be 3D printing.

A 3D rendering of the finished Arco engine. Credit: Pangaa

In cooperation with Aenium Engineering, Pangea has developed a proprietary copper alloy material with which an engine can withstand the extreme thermal and mechanical loads on rocket start and flight. The team also developed a way to quickly submit it into layers with a 3D printer.

“The result is a Very inexpensive, very strong combustion chamber that can withstand the high heat and the high pressure, ”said Llairó. “With this technology we were able to produce things that were simply unproductive.”

Pangaa's Aerospike engines are 30% more efficient than conventional bell engines, offer 15% higher overall efficiency and enable up to 30% more power load capacity for orbit, the company said in a statement.

The new space boom

Pangea aims to build rocket drive systems for all rocket sizes, from microfen to heavy lifts. Last year, The European Space Agency (ESA) Contract The startup to design a rocket engine with a very high thrust that could supply future European heavy and super -heavy rockets with electricity.

However, Pangea mainly wants to do justice to the emerging herd of private space Company. The startup says it the Rolls-Royce from Rockets wants its leading engine supplier in the industry.

Pangea is currently testing his technology in cooperation with three private space companies. Llairó told TNW. “Two Europeans, an American,” he said, refusing to continue to go into more detail.

The most promising startups of rocket starts in Europe are currently Germany's Isar Aerospace and Raketenfabrik Augsburg (RFA) and Spain PLD room. All three will blow out on their Jungfried lies this year, although Isar will Looks the first. Then there are more established European heavyweights, Arianespace, a subsidiary of Arianegroup, and Avio, the Italian manufacturers of Vega-C.

All of these companies want to tap on a booming global activity Space economyForecast to be worth it 1.8 trillion US dollars by 2035. For Pangea, this means more customers.

Llairó is of the opinion Defense skills And Tech sovereignty In the middle of cooling relationships with the USA and threats from Russia.

“The room is crucial for our defense and autonomy in Europe,” he said. “We have the opportunity to build a strong local space economy [here] and managers in certain areas such as drive systems. However, it is an opportunity that is wasted when governments no longer invest [in space startups] And take a risk like in the USA. ”