Adranos secures $1.1 million in Army contracts for hypersonic research

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Adranos Inc., a Purdue University-affiliated company that has developed a high-performance solid rocket fuel called ALITEC for missile and space launch systems, has obtained more than $1.1 million in contracts collectively from the U.S. Army’s Aviation and Missile Center and the OUSD (R&E)’s Rapid Reaction Technology Office.

One of these contracts will use Purdue’s Zucrow Laboratories’ heated air system, which is capable of simulating Mach 4 environments for hypersonic research.

“These tests will determine ALITEC’s functionality within a hypersonic propulsion system referred to as a solid-fuel ramjet,” said Chris Stoker, Adranos’ CEO. “A solid-fuel ramjet is among the simplest of air-breathing rockets that can substantially increase firing range over traditional solid rocket motors.”

These systems use an initial-stage, traditional solid rocket booster to reach necessary velocities that then enable a second-stage air-breathing system to carry payloads over long distances.

“Prior research supports that ALITEC’s performance increases can be applied to both traditional solid-rocket motors and air-breathing systems,” said Brandon Terry, Adranos’ chief technology officer. “We expect ALITEC to increase firing range for both solid-rocket boosters and solid-fuel ramjets, maximizing end-to-end system performance.”

Adranos closed out a funding round earlier this year raising $1 million. Last year, Adranos successfully tested a prototype rocket powered by its ALITEC rocket fuel and was the winner of the Army’s first-ever xTechSearch competition.

Technology used by Adranos is licensed through the Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology Commercialization, which patented the technology.