Realizing High-Test Peroxide (HTP) in Aerospace

For over a year, I have proposed various VTOL aircraft and space rocket architectures. These designs rely heavily on optimized onboard propellant combinations. While Liquid Oxygen (LOX) is acceptable for traditional, low-frequency rocket launches, its cryogenic boil-off makes it unviable for aircraft requiring hours of operational readiness and extended burn times. The pursuit of a unified propellant across both rockets and VTOL aircraft necessitated an alternative oxidizer: 98% High-Test Peroxide (HTP). Implementing HTP, however, requires solving specific design constraints.

First, the fluid path from the storage tanks to the catalyst pack must be minimal with negligible valving. The "Naked Rocket" design resolves this by directly feeding the engines located under each structural support stud. Second, HTP turbopumps require precise pressure management to avoid rapid decomposition. This is solved by using a cascaded configuration of smaller radial pumps to lift the pressure smoothly, combined with a reduction of the chamber pressure to 45 bar. Third, HTP demands stringent handling and storage protocols. This liability is completely bypassed by utilizing on-demand synthesis directly at the launch interface, eliminating long-term storage hazards.

Finally, and most importantly, the lower combustion temperature of the HTP-LPG combination enables a critical structural consolidation: replacing heavy, complex, gimbaled bell nozzles with fixed, highly efficient advanced aerospike nozzles. The reduced thermal flux protects the aerospike plug while allowing the same chemistry to drive high-efficiency Aerospike Space Vehicle Control Thrusters. Coupled with LPG, HTP forms the ideal propellant combination for mass-producible VTOL aviation and space missions.