Pulsed rocket motor

Solid rocket motors are prized in military for their long shelf lives, but at the same time some control of the burn is desired. For example, the range of a missile can be extended by separating the burn into two pulses, one starting at launch and the other much later in its journey. Doing so would reduce the velocity of the missile during the majority of the course, therefore reducing losses to drag. The Chinese PL-15 air-to-air missile uses a dual-pulse motor. The American SM-3 surface-to-air missile uses a dual-pulse motor in its third stage, one before nosecone ejection, the other after. The kinetic kill vehicle of the SM-3 also uses a multi-charge solid fuel design, though the fuel is used here to feed a gas generator. ==References==