Swedish space corporation commissions ECAPS to develop environmentally friendly r

SWEDISH SPACE CORPORATION COMMISSIONS ECAPS TO DEVELOP ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY ROCKET FUEL ECAPS has now received its first order from the Swedish National Space Board. The order, worth SEK 11 million, is for a demonstration of environmentally friendly rocket fuel for satellite engines. Newly formed ECAPS is owned equally by the Swedish National Space Board and Volvo Aero. With their extensive combined know-how of satellite systems and rocket engines, respectively, the two companies will develop an attractive and competitive alternative to today's most commonly used fuel "hydrazine." Since hydrazine is hazardous and carcinogenic, its handling is controlled by strict safety regulations. The foremost advantage of new "green" fuel is that it is environmentally friendly. Moreover, it is neither explosive nor particularly hazardous, which means that it can be handled with rubber gloves, in contrast to Hydrazin, which requires protective clothing that resembles a space suit. It is expected that this will yield substantial cost savings as a result of reduced handling expenses. The new fuel is based on a patent owned by ECAPS. "In addition to the definite handling advantages, the new fuel is characterized by higher performance than hydrazine. As a result, interest from the space industry is already considerable," says Ulf Palmnäs, President of ECAPS. The Swedish National Space Board has now placed its first order, worth SEK 11 million, for a technological demonstration of the new fuel. In practice, this will involve prototype testing of various versions of the fuel in a laboratory environment. In addition to environmentally friendly fuel, the assignment includes the development of small rocket engine prototypes for the fuel. The engines will be used in a propulsion system designed mainly for smaller satellites in low earth orbit. The propulsion system positions a satellite in the correct orbit and points it in the right direction. May 1, 2001 For further information, contact Ulf Palmnäs, President of ECAPS, +46 70 569 0432. ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by BIT http://www.bit.se The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2001/05/01/20010430BIT00080/bit0003.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2001/05/01/20010430BIT00080/bit0003.pdf