Parabilis Wins NASA Phase II Contract to Develop Novel Propulsion System for Sample Return Missions

Parabilis Space Technologies, Inc. of San Marcos, CA announced that it was awarded a Phase II contract by NASA to develop an innovative hybrid motor propulsion system utilizing its proprietary Aft-injection, Center Exhaust (ACE) design for use in a Mars sample return mission.  “Sample return from extraterrestrial bodies is critical to the advancement of human understanding of the solar system, and is a core part of the NASA Science Plan,” said Frank Macklin, Chief Technology Officer at Parabilis.  This Phase II contract will build on previous work in which a motor configuration was designed, assembled, and successfully hot fired.  It will further address key risk areas for the Mars mission using a combination of material testing, subscale development, testing and analysis, and near full-scale development, testing and analysis.  Design work will be conducted at Parabilis’ headquarters in San Marcos, CA.  Cold flow and hot fire testing will be conducted at Parabilis’ test facility in Lakeside, CA.