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Nonaka Lab
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A lab researching reusable rockets that fly by harnessing the atmosphere.
AboutAbout the lab
Harnessing the atmosphere for the next era of rockets
The Nonaka Lab, at the JAXA Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, conducts research on rockets that can be reused at high frequency.
For rockets until now, the atmosphere has mostly been an obstacle.
The team at the Institute has launched demonstration research on "atmosphere-assisted flight," which aims to renew space transportation systems with rockets that fly by making good use of the atmosphere, and is developing an engine and a small experimental vehicle.
Key terms
- Reusable rocket
- A rocket whose vehicle can be recovered after launch, refurbished, and flown again
- Air-breathing engine
- An engine that, like a jet engine, takes in oxygen from the atmosphere to burn fuel. Also called an air-breather
- Specific impulse
- A value that expresses the fuel efficiency of a rocket engine. The larger it is, the longer the engine can accelerate with less propellant
ResearchResearch themes
At the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, the lab has pursued practical research on rockets that can be reused at high frequency, with the aim of innovating space transportation systems. It is now incorporating a new engine that makes good use of the atmosphere into reusable rockets, aiming to improve launch capability and enable efficient repeated operation.
*Illustrative imageRockets reusable at high frequency
The lab has developed liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen rocket engines that can be used over and over, and has built up technology for safe and efficient repeated operation using small experimental vehicles and other platforms. These technologies are being mounted on RV-X, a reusable rocket experimental vehicle developed together with JAXA's Research and Development Directorate, and preparations for flight tests are underway.
*Illustrative imageRockets that use the atmosphere as an ally
Using air-breathing engines that take in oxygen from the atmosphere makes it possible to greatly reduce the amount of liquid oxygen carried and to greatly increase specific impulse. The lab aims for a flight profile in which a vertically ascending rocket accelerates using air from liftoff, then switches to rocket engines partway through.
*Illustrative imageATRIUM Combined-Cycle Engine
A combined-cycle engine that combines an air turbo engine, which takes in air, with a rocket engine, switching between them depending on flight altitude to obtain thrust. Because rocket engine technology is already mature, it is important to first advance the development of the air turbo engine.
*Illustrative imageCRAFT Small Experimental Vehicle
The lab plans a demonstration in which a small experimental vehicle fitted with the ATRIUM engine flies while actually taking in air through the vehicle's air intake. As a first step, it plans to conduct an experiment at the Noshiro Rocket Test Site in which the vehicle is lifted off the ground at low altitude.
MembersFaculty
- ProfessorSatoshi Nonaka
VoicesStudent voices
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “Wind turbines and JAXA Noshiro site” 掬茶 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Rockets reusable at high frequency: “The sun sets over a test stand at Blue Origin’s West Texas facility” Lauren Harnett / Public domain (cropped)
- Rockets that use the atmosphere as an ally: “Falcon 9 first stage at LZ-1(two)” SpaceX Photos / CC0 (cropped)
- ATRIUM Combined-Cycle Engine: “Ramjet (PSF)” Pearson Scott Foresman / Public domain (cropped)
- CRAFT Small Experimental Vehicle: “Noshiro Rocket testing site” Ebiebi2 / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
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