A hybrid propulsion solution for a microsatellite to perform a capture maneuver in a Mars orbit

The increasing interest in Mars exploration boosts the investigation of innovative propulsion systems capable of more thrust than conventional low thrust engines. This paper aims to investigate the feasibility of a hybrid rocket engine able to brake a 24U CubeSat and insert it into a Mars orbit. The thruster uses paraffin and nitrous oxide as propellants due to the high regression rate of the paraffin and the self-pressuring characteristic of the N2O. A 200 N Paraffin/N2O hybrid rocket has proven to be good solution for this mission requirement. A hybrid rocket has been therefore designed and realized from the students of the School of Aerospace Engineering of La Sapienza in order to better understand the physics of hybrid propulsion for different inlet and operative conditions. A 3D RANS has been performed to investigate the rocket performance. A 5 step kinetic model has been investigated and proposed in order to be implemented in the CFD code.