Development of Hydrogen Peroxide Monopropellant Rockets Angelo Cervone * , Lucio Torre † , Luca d’Agostino ‡ ALTA S.p.A. - Via Gherardesca, 5 - 56121 Ospedaletto, Pisa, Italy Antony J. Musker § DELTACAT Limited, Lee on Solent, PO13 9AU, UK Graham T. Roberts ** School of Engineering Sciences, University of Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK Cristina Bramanti †† , Giorgio Saccoccia ‡‡ ESA-ESTEC, Keplerlaan 1, Nordwijk, The Netherlands Alta S.p.A. (Italy) and DELTACAT Ltd. (United Kingdom) are conducting a study, funded by the European Space Agency, into the development of hydrogen peroxide monopropellant thrusters using advanced catalytic beds. The present paper focuses on the design of two different demonstration thrusters with nominal ratings of 5 N and 25 N. Design requirements and specifications are presented, followed by the main results of a concept study, which was conducted to define the approximate dimensions needed. Some details about the specific design of the two prototypes and the choice of the main components are provided, with particular regard to the sensors and transducers to be used during the experimentation. Different catalytic bed configurations, including pure silver gauzes and pellets coated with manganese oxide or platinum, are going to be tested in the prototype thrusters, in order to find the optimum one for further industrial development. A dedicated test bench, designed and realized by Alta S.p.A. for tests on the thruster prototypes, is also illustrated. Nomenclature e A = exhaust area t A = throat area F C = thrust coefficient c = exhaust velocity * c = characteristic velocity F = thrust e M = exhaust Mach number m  = propellant mass flow rate a p = ambient pressure c p = combustion chamber pressure e p = exhaust pressure t p = throat pressure * Project manager, ALTA S.p.A., AIAA Member; a.cervone@alta-space.com. † Project engineer, ALTA S.p.A., AIAA Member; l.torre@alta-space.com. ‡ Professor, Department of Aerospace Engineering – University of Pisa, AIAA Member; luca.dagostino@ing.unipi.it . § Director, DELTACAT Ltd., Senior Fellow of the University of Southampton, AIAA Member; tony.musker@deltacatuk.com. ** Senior Lecturer, School of Engineering Sciences, University of Southampton, United Kingdom; gtr@soton.ac.uk †† Post-Doctoral Fellow, ESA Advanced Concepts Team, AIAA member; Cristina.Bramanti@esa.int. ‡‡ Head of Propulsion & Aerothermodynamics Division, ESA-ESTEC, AIAA Member; Giorgio.Saccoccia@esa.int .