The Innovation Fund is investing 3.2 million euros in the development of green rocket engines. In this project, FORCE Technology, as a development partner, will be responsible for designing and constructing a high-energy CT X-ray system to ensure the quality of the 3D-printed rocket engines before launch.

Orbex, a rocket manufacturer with a design and production department in Hvidovre (Denmark), has received an investment of £23.7 million from the Innovation Fund. The funds will be used to establish a “Green Propulsion Excellence Centre” in Hvidovre, where Orbex will design, produce, and test green propulsion systems for their Prime rocket, which will send satellites into Earth’s orbit.

Reduction of CO2 Emissions

The Orbex Prime rocket, which will be launched from the Sutherland Spaceport in northern Scotland, uses biofuel as an energy source. This reduces the rocket’s CO2 emissions by 96% compared to similar launch systems that use fossil fuels. Additionally, the Prime rocket is reusable and designed not to leave debris in Earth’s orbit.

Quality Control with Advanced X-ray Technology

The establishment of the “Green Propulsion Excellence Centre” is being carried out in close cooperation with the GTS institute, FORCE Technology and has a total budget of DKK 45.7 million. FORCE Technology has been selected as the development partner for designing and constructing a high-energy CT X-ray system that will ensure the quality of the 3D-printed rocket engines before launch. The project builds on six years of development work supported by the European Space Agency (ESA).

FORCE Technology’s expertise in X-ray technology plays a crucial role in the project, where the high-energy CT X-ray system will be used for detailed quality control of the complex rocket components. The technology ensures that the 3D-printed rocket engines meet the highest standards of safety and performance.

“The Innovation Fund has shown us trust with this investment, which will take X-ray technology out of the laboratory and establish a full-scale demonstration plant at Orbex in Hvidovre. ESA has expressed enthusiasm that it is now possible to place a state-of-the-art facility on Danish soil and expects the European space industry to follow the project with great interest,” says Thomas Aaboe Jensen, Program Manager Space, FORCE Technology.

The “Green Propulsion Excellence Centre” project is expected to run until May 2026.

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Photo: Orbex