THE TRILEMMA SOLVER: An Architecture-First Framework for Breaking the Thrust–Specific Impulse–Durability Trade-Off in Rocket Propulsion

Conventional rocket propulsion design accepts an apparently immutable trilemma: for any given technology, high thrust, high specific impulse, and long engine life cannot be simultaneously maximised. Engineering practice responds with device-first optimisation — better materials, cooling, and combustion — yielding impressive but structurally limited returns. This paper proposes an architecture-first framework that treats the thrust–specific impulse–durability trilemma as a structural silence in classical propulsion thinking rather than an immutable physical law. We formalise the performance vector P = (T, I_sp, L), define metastable propulsion regimes in a propellant-agnostic manner through three structural conditions (energy density, timescale separation, and amortisable reset cost), and introduce a Named Binary distinguishing device-first from architecture-first design space. We derive the Strongest Formulation of the architecture-first thesis and specify a Collapse Counter-Scenario (CCS) with explicit, falsifiable quantitative targets for 2040. We further ground internal geometric precursors (P2) in the dynamical systems theory of critical slowing down, address the dimensional reduction problem for experimental operationalisation, and provide a cross-domain structural confirmation across computing, biology, and energy storage. The paper elevates the Trilemma Solver from visionary proposal to a structured, falsifiable research programme meeting the publication standards of the Method ALGUILAS-AI Dialectical Engine.