Established in 2011, Space Engine Systems is an AS 9100 D certified Canadian aerospace company headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta that is pioneering the next generation of propulsion technologies and hypersonic vehicles for aerospace and space. Their mission is to push the boundaries of sustainable hypersonic flight and space accessibility at the lowest cost. The company is claiming to be the lowest cost “trucking company” to anywhere space including the Lunar Mission.
Space Engine Systems is setting up operations multiple locations in the U.S. and Cornwall U.K. to continue growth and building a series of Mach 5 spaceplanes capable of Point to Point, Suborbital, LEO and Lunar missions, apart from hypersonic systems for defense.
The US company is called Space Engine Systems USA, Inc. The UK company is called Space Engine Systems Limited and is located at Cornwall, UK.
Interview with Pradeep Dass, President and CTO at Space Engine Systems.
Easy Engineering: What are the main areas of activity of the company?
Pradeep Dass: Space Engine Systems is focusing our energy on engineering state of the art propulsion systems which we call the DASS GNX, which is a full-scale ramjet engine capable of Mach 5 speeds, as well as horizontal takeoff and landing from regular airports. We are also designing our own spaceplanes Hello-1 and Hello-2. We have a hypersonic drone dubbed “Sexbomb”.
Our company is expanding from Canada into both the UK and the US, working with regulatory bodies to approve launches from both locations.
E.E: What’s the news about new products?
P.D: Space Engine Systems is shipping our drone, Sexbomb, to our UK location at the Cornwall Newquay Airport where we will be investing in infrastructure to continue our plans of launch from Spaceport Cornwall. link
We have been featured for the second year in a row in AIAA’s Year-in-Review, this year for our successful testing of our DASS GNX Ramjet engine with multiple fuels at various operating conditions. link
E.E: What are the ranges of products?
P.D: All of our planned spaceplanes are 100% reusable, horizontal takeoff and landing, and do not use any toxic fuels.
Our experimental demonstrator is Hello-1X, which is planned to launch in 2023, subject to regulatory approvals. It has an air breathing DASS GNX turbo-ramjet engine which will go up to 32 kilometers altitude and reach Mach 5.
Our payload spaceplane is Hello-1. It is similar to Hello-1X with the addition of a rocket engine. A transfer vehicle will be deployed which can take the 550kg payload to LEO, and a smaller load to lunar orbit or land on the moon. Hello-2 will take 5,500kg to LEO and 1,660kg to LLO and 760kg landed on the moon.
Our unmanned hypersonic drone, Sexbomb, will be shipped to Spaceport Cornwall UK and will undergo various modifications and testing for interceptor or other defense use, depending on demand.
E.E: At what stage is the market where you are currently active?
P.D: There is high demand for space payloads, with many companies vying for payload on rockets to send satellites, telescopes, and modules into orbit. Ours is the lowest cost to space, basically because we use air-breathing engines in the earth’s atmosphere before we switch over to rocket engines. Space Engine
Systems takes advantage of a market gap in which cost is much lower than established companies such as SpaceX and others.
E.E: What can you tell us about market trends?
P.D: SpaceX, for example, carries payloads of up to 8,300kg. Space Engine Systems offers much lower prices for payloads, as low as $300 per kg! We also will offer higher protection for payloads because of lower vibration during transit.
E.E: What are the most innovative products marketed?
P.D: All of our products are innovative: sustainable, reusable, and affordable point-to-point and space transportation. All of our spaceplanes and their propulsion systems are entirely innovative, and unique to our company.
E.E: What estimations do you have for 2023?
P.D: Space Engine Systems plans to move forward with our 2023 plans in a very aggressive manner. We have two vehicles planned for 2023 flights, Hello-1X planned for 2023 and Hello-1 dependent on the results of the Hello-1X flight. We will be launching from spaceports in the US for our first few launches.