Primary Job Title Co-Founder, Chief Scientist Primary Organization Firehawk Aerospace
Location Indialantic, Florida, United States Regions East Coast, Southern US Gender Male Also Known As Ron
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Prolific inventor with numerous patents (granted and pending) relating to the use of Additive Manufacturing for the design and manufacture of and next-generation hybrid rocket engines and advanced composite structures. Currently leading the development of three next-generation technologies and products:
- D-DART (Direct-Digital Advanced Rocket
Technology) is protected by 3 U.S. Patents (9,453,479 issued 9/27/16, 9,822,045 issued 11/21/17, and 9,890,091 issued 2/13/18) and 2 patents-pending. This new rocket propulsion technology makes it possible to design and produce high specific impulse, high regression rate, affordable, safe, consistent performing hybrid rocket engines that can be mass produced for commercial spaceflight and military applications. The technology is exclusively licensed to Rocket Crafters, Inc.
- D-DAC (Direct-Digital Advanced Composites) is protected by U.S. Patent 6,630,093 issued 3/27/03. This out-of-tool, out-of-autoclave technology represents a breakthrough in sandwich composite design and production. D-DAC makes extensive use of advanced additive manufacturing systems and polymeric materials to produce net-shaped core. With this technology, many of the traditional production steps are eliminated, part count is reduced, and weight can be saved.
- Intrepid-1, is a two-stage expendable dedicated small satellite launch vehicle being developed by Rocket Crafters powered by custom D-DART hybrid rocket engines. To reduce production cost and dry weight, Intrepid-1 will be built from lightweight composites based upon D-DAC production methods and design concepts. Intrepid-1, when first flown in 2020, will become the value leader in small spacecraft launch.
