Stellar Alpina Targets Moon with Rotating Detonation Propulsion

Propulsion Paradigm Shift

Swiss aerospace startup Stellar Alpina has officially entered the lunar logistics race. According to European Spaceflight, the firm is developing a suite of spacecraft—including a lunar lander and an Orbital Transfer Vehicle (OTV)—built around a core technological differentiator: the Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine (RDRE).

The RDRE Advantage

Unlike traditional rocket engines that rely on deflagration (subsonic combustion), RDREs utilize supersonic detonation waves that travel around a circular channel. This mechanism offers significantly higher thermodynamic efficiency, potentially reducing fuel mass requirements for deep-space maneuvers. For a lunar lander, this efficiency translates directly into increased payload capacity or extended mission duration.

Mission Architecture

The company’s roadmap focuses on two primary hardware assets:
1. Orbital Transfer Vehicle (OTV): Designed to ferry payloads between Earth orbits or toward cislunar space.
2. Lunar Lander: A descent vehicle optimized for the lunar surface, leveraging the compact power of the RDRE to manage the high delta-v requirements of soft landing.

By integrating this next-generation propulsion into a modular spacecraft architecture, Stellar Alpina aims to lower the cost barrier for European lunar exploration. While the technology remains in the high-stakes development phase, the successful deployment of a flight-ready RDRE would represent a significant leap in European propulsion capabilities, moving beyond the limitations of chemical combustion standards that have dominated the industry for decades.