Distributed airfoil aerospike rocket nozzle

A method of operating a rocket propulsion system, the method comprising:

• providing a rocket engine including a rocket engine combustion chamber and an aerospike rocket engine nozzle, the aerospike rocket engine nozzle including:
• a plurality of airfoil fins disposed at an exit end of the rocket engine combustion chamber and extending across an exit opening of the rocket engine combustion chamber, the plurality of airfoil fins being distributed around a central longitudinal axis,
• a central airfoil hub from which each of the plurality of airfoil fins extend radially outward, wherein a maximum length of the central airfoil hub in a longitudinal direction is less than or equal to a maximum length of the plurality of airfoil fins in the longitudinal direction;
• wherein the plurality of airfoil fins, the central airfoil hub and an inner perimeter of the rocket engine combustion chamber define a plurality of apertures between adjacent airfoil fins at the exit opening, and
• operating the rocket engine such that an airflow exits the rocket engine combustion chamber through the exit opening and the plurality of apertures choke the airflow exiting the rocket engine combustion chamber through the exit opening, causing the airflow to expand supersonically along the plurality of airfoil fins to create thrust.

An aerospike rocket engine nozzle comprising:

• a plurality of airfoil fins disposed at an exit end of a rocket engine combustion chamber and extending across an exit opening of the rocket engine combustion chamber, the plurality of airfoil fins being distributed around a central longitudinal axis;
• and
• a central airfoil hub from which each of the plurality of airfoil fins extend radially outward, wherein a maximum length of the central airfoil hub in a longitudinal direction is less than or equal to a maximum length of the plurality of airfoil fins in the longitudinal direction;
• wherein the plurality of airfoil fins, the central airfoil hub and the inner perimeter of the rocket engine combustion chamber define a plurality of apertures between adjacent airfoil fins at the exit opening, the plurality of apertures being configured to choke an airflow exiting the rocket engine combustion chamber and cause the airflow to expand supersonically along the plurality of airfoil fins to create thrust.