HyImpulse: German paraffin-fueled rocket launches for first time
HyImpulse is developing two paraffin wax-fuelled rockets. The smaller rocket has completed its maiden flight.
Lift-off of the SR75
(Bild: HyImpulse)
The space company HyImpulse has launched the single-stage SR75, one of the new launch vehicles developed and built in Germany, for the first time. The 12 m high and 2.5 t heavy sounding rocket lifted off from the Koonibba test site in South Australia. The company did not disclose how high it subsequently ascended. For regulatory reasons, however, the maximum flight altitude was limited to 60 km, so it did not reach space. The rocket is now to be recovered and examined. The SR75 is therefore also the world's first rocket ever to be powered by a particularly cheap and safe fuel based on kerosene - also known as candle wax.
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As HyImpulse explains, the SR75 is a technical precursor to the SL1 transport rocket, which is also currently under development. From 2025, this is expected to carry commercial payloads into low earth orbits and will be able to carry several tons. The SR75 will one day be able to transport small satellites weighing up to 250 kg to altitudes of up to 250 km. The fact that it has now taken off for the first time is "a breakthrough for the commercial space industry and an important signal for Europe as a space location". The company also points out that this was achieved with a comparatively small team, with around 65 people working for HyImpulse.
In view of the successful test launch, the Heilbronn-based company also points to the advantages of the paraffin-based propellant it has developed itself. The solid candle wax can be filled directly into the rocket tank with liquid oxygen during production. This means that the rocket can be safely shipped and brought to the launch site, where it no longer needs to be refueled. In the event of an accident or crash, the oxygen would escape and the kerosene could be easily recovered. Overall, the price of transporting payloads into space should be massively reduced thanks to this much lower level of complexity and the lower insurance costs.
(mho)