LEAP 71 tested both a conventional engine with a traditional bell nozzle and an aerospike configuration. While radically different in shape and internal geometry, both engines were generated by the same Noyron model, relying on the same physics and logic.
Dear Subscriber,
Alright, space squad, buckle up — here’s the absolute wildest rocket propulsion news from the past 3 months! We’re talking fusion plasma breakthroughs, nuclear thermal progress, Raptor 3 fire, and AI-designed engines going full send. Let’s go!
Pulsar Fusion just hit FIRST PLASMA in their Sunbird fusion rocket exhaust rig
The UK team successfully ignited and confined plasma using electric + magnetic fields with krypton fuel. This is a massive world-first step toward high-thrust, continuous-burn fusion propulsion that could dramatically slash Mars travel times. Next tests and magnet upgrades are coming fast. Read the full story
NASA’s NTP game is strong
At Marshall Space Flight Center, they wrapped up over 100 cold-flow tests on a full-scale nuclear thermal reactor engineering unit — the first big campaign since the NERVA era in the 1960s. Stable hydrogen flow and modern materials validated. This is serious progress toward faster deep-space missions.
SpaceX lit up the first static fire of a Version 3 Super Heavy booster (Booster 19 with Raptor 3 engines) at the brand-new Pad 2 in Starbase. Raptor 3 single-engine testing at McGregor keeps smashing records. Flight 12 vibes are building. Space.com coverage
LEAP 71 went full computational engineering mode
Their Noyron AI model autonomously designed two 20 kN methalox engines (one conventional bell, one full-scale aerospike). Both hot-fired successfully with strong combustion efficiency. 10% scale of their upcoming orbital-class engines. Mind-blowing. LEAP 71 announcement
2026 is shaping up to be absolutely stupid in the best way. Fusion rockets? Nuclear thermal? Raptor 3 flying soon? Which story has you most hyped right now?
Drop your thoughts below and stay locked in — more Meco sim missions and propulsion deep-dives coming soon.
As always, feel free to reach out with any questions or suggestions!
Stay cyrogencially cool,
Dannie
Creator - Meco Rocket Simulator
Crews at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, install a flight reactor engineering development unit into Test Stand 400 in preparation for cold-flow testing. The test campaign began in July and ran through September and marked the first testing on a flight reactor engineering development unit since the 1960s. NASA/Adam Butt
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