Space X Falcon 9 rocket ship taking off
AIRMADE® Rocket Fuel logo

Synthetic kerosene engineered for propulsion engines

Overview

Precision fuel for high-performance flight

AIRMADE® Rocket Fuel is AIRCO’s synthetic kerosene-based fuel pathway designed for rocket and advanced propulsion engines. The pathway produces a sulfur- and nitrogen-free synthetic crude with tightly controlled composition, enabling fuels comparable to RP-1 / RP-2 while offering improved purity and tunability.

By building fuel molecules directly from carbon dioxide and hydrogen, AIRMADE® Rocket Fuel removes dependence on petroleum feedstocks and limited refining capacity—without compromising performance requirements.

Rocketship under the sky

Characteristics

Engineered, not extracted

AIRMADE® Rocket Fuel is designed to meet the demands of high-performance propulsion systems:

01

Kerosene-based fuel suitable for RP-1 / RP-2 class applications

02

Sulfur-and nitrogen-free synthetic hydrocarbons

03

No detectable heavy metals

04

Precision-controlled paraffinic composition

05

Tunable molecular profile for specific engine requirements

Rocket Fuel. Made Domestically.

A clean, consistent fuel produced on-site and designed for repeatable engine performance.

AIRMADE Rocket Fuel distillation system
AIRMADE Rocket Fuel Technology
Green tube in AIRMADE Rocket Fuel Distillation process

Process

Direct CO₂-to-hydrocarbon synthesis

AIRMADE® Rocket Fuel is produced through a single-step catalytic hydrogenation process that converts carbon dioxide and hydrogen into synthetic hydrocarbons.

01

CO₂ and hydrogen are converted directly into synthetic crude

02

Single-step process simplifies system design and improves efficiency

03

High carbon conversion with minimal byproducts

This approach reduces process complexity compared to multi-step petroleum refining and enables tighter control over final fuel properties.

Impact

Performance, reliability, and supply security

AIRMADE® Rocket Fuel is designed to address both performance and supply constraints in propulsion fuel markets:

01

Scalable Supply

Reduces reliance on oil markets and a small number of specialized refiners

02

Specification-Aligned

Designed to meet core requirements for blending under applicable standards

03

Consistent Performance

Controlled composition supports repeatable engine behavior

04

Improved Efficiency

Streamlined synthesis with high carbon utilization

05

Clean Chemistry

No sulfur, nitrogenous compounds, or heavy metals

Validation

From lab to pilot scale

AIRMADE® Rocket Fuel is currently in the research and development phase.

At AIRCO’s Brooklyn Technology Center, pilot-scale operation has validated:

01

Core system stability

02

Greater than 90% carbon-to-liquid conversion

03

Scalability under commercial operating conditions

AIRCO is actively exploring downstream processing strategies to meet the requirements of current rocket engines as well as next-generation propulsion systems.