New rocket fuel to launch Purdue spacecraft

A group of Purdue University students is moving ahead with a project to test a new, more environmentally friendly rocket propellant.

The students have partnered with rocket maker Aerojet Rocketdyne to try to demonstrate that the new propellant can replace hydrazine, a highly toxic fuel that's often used for rocket launches.

The Purdue Green Propellant Suborbital Test will be launched by NASA's Flight Opportunities Program on a commercial suborbital rocket flight. Such flights allow testing of spaceflight technologies during weightlessness. The goal is to properly control the propellant in weightlessness so it flows properly inside fuel tanks.

The Purdue flight will test the technical readiness of a new green propellant developed by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory.