Spaceflight

A solid rocket motor that uses a mix of nano-scale aluminium particles and ice for its propellant has been launched to 1,300ft (400m) by the US Air Force Office of Scientific Research and NASA.

Developed with help from Purdue University, the Georgia Institute of Technology and Pennsylvania State University the aluminium powder and ice propellant is called Alice. It propelled an all-carbonfibre rocket from a launch site near Purdue University and the research team expects that with the addition of oxidisers Alice could be used for in-space propulsion and manufactured on the Moon or Mars.