Projects
Kilgharrah — 3.5 kN Throttleable SwanSEDS Engine
Kilgharrah is a 3.5 kN nitrous oxide/IPA, regeneratively cooled liquid rocket engine entered into Race2Space 2026 and successfully hot-fired at Airborne Engineering Ltd in July 2026. It is designed for 20–100% throttleability and future thrust-vector-control integration with a propulsive lander.
Key Details
- Status: Successfully hot-fired in July 2026
- Competition: Race2Space 2026
- Test location: Airborne Engineering Ltd
- Propellants: Nitrous oxide / IPA
- Thrust and throttle range: 3.5 kN, 20–100%
- Thrust chamber: AlSi10Mg
- Injector: SS316L fuel-centred pintle
- Design point: L* 1.3 m, O/F 3.3, chamber pressure 20 bar
- Future integration: Thrust-vector-controlled propulsive lander
Overview
Kilgharrah was developed as a throttleable, regeneratively cooled liquid rocket engine using nitrous oxide and isopropyl alcohol. The 3.5 kN engine was entered into the Race2Space 2026 competition.
The engine completed a successful hot-fire at Airborne Engineering Ltd in July 2026, demonstrating the integrated thrust chamber and injector hardware under firing conditions.
Engine Architecture
- AlSi10Mg regeneratively cooled thrust chamber assembly.
- SS316L fuel-centred pintle injector.
- Design mixture ratio of O/F 3.3.
- Characteristic length, L*, of 1.3 m.
- Nominal chamber pressure of 20 bar.
- Throttle range from 20% to 100%.
Hot-Fire Milestone
The July 2026 firing at Airborne Engineering Ltd marked the project’s successful hot-fire milestone. The test used the completed 3.5 kN engine hardware represented on this page.
Future Integration
Kilgharrah is being developed for use with a thrust-vector-control system. This provides a route toward integration with a propulsive lander in future development.
Key Metrics
Thrust
3.5 kN
Nominal engine thrust.
Throttle Range
20–100%
Designed operating range.
Chamber Pressure
20 bar
Nominal design pressure.
Mixture Ratio
O/F 3.3
Nitrous oxide and IPA design point.
Characteristic Length
1.3 m
Specified L* value.
Hot-Fire
July 2026
Successfully fired at Airborne Engineering Ltd.