LIMESTONE, Maine – The small crew of about ten of bluShift Aerospace made history on Sunday when they launched the Stardust 1.0 rocket, which is the first commercial launch of a rocket in the world powered by a bio-derivative fuel-powered and the first commercial rocket launch in Maine.
bluShift Aerospace’s plans to make history with the launch of the Stardust 1.0 were delayed for the second time this month with a cloudy sky. When the rocket finally takes off, it will be the first commercial launch of a rocket in the world powered by a bio-derived fuel and the first commercial rocket launch in Maine.
The first launch attempt on Sunday morning had to be delayed because it was too cold for the electronics to function properly in the rocket and they had to warm them up, said blasSift CEO Sascha Deri.
The temperature was 14 degrees below zero around 06:00.
“We know our battery packs are not usable under minus 10,” he said. “I did not even think it would be a problem, but I could not know Aroostook County well enough.”
After this, the clouds briefly became cloudy, but this was fixed around 10:30 for a launch. Unfortunately, the rocket did not leave the tower during this attempt, attributing Deri to the fact that the main valve was under pressure and could not open.
“It was a lesson. “We wanted to save gas from being lost, but we should not have done it,” he said.
Another launch attempt, about an hour later, also resulted in the rocket not cleaning the tower – caused by ignition fluid. Deri explained that the ignition fluid is separate from the company’s own bio-derived fuel.
The ignition fluid was refilled at 13:56 hours and the crew immediately put the system under pressure and heated it for launch. At the time, Deri said: ‘It looks very good, and I think we have a good chance. I hope we can say the charm for the third time. ”
By 3 p.m., the rocket could be launched without being noticed, and the cargo screen was appearing in time for the material to reach the ground safely.
‘The good news is that we’ve had a successful launch. The incredible news is that it has ended up in such an easily accessible place, ”said Deri. He also thanks the Bouchard family for locating the rocket on snowmobiles in such a short period of time.
“I feel incredibly happy,” he said.
The launch was originally planned for October 28, 2020, but was moved to November so that the team could perform additional tests that they said were critical to the execution of the rocket. During this time, engineers discovered that the design of the rocket could improve, and the launch was delayed a second time.
Improvements included improvements to O-rings, extra heat shielding at key areas around the rocket – especially around the combustion chamber and within the telemetry environment – improvement of telemetry for reliability of the data link and improvements to the heat shielding of the launch vehicle, so that it can be reused.
In the next attempt, the crew was fully prepared to launch the Stardust on the morning of January 15, but the cloud cover prevented them from obtaining the necessary approval from the Federal Aviation Administration. Originally it was scheduled for 08:00, and the launch was later moved to 10:00 and time was pushed back in steps all day until the team no longer had enough daylight for the launch.
The FAA requires one hour before the launch notice, then 15 minutes before and thereafter another just after the launch is complete.
The team needs 48 hours with cloud cover that is less than 50 percent of the flight ceiling, or 5,200 feet above sea level, to allow the launch to take place. The winds should also be calm. And because the crew is based in Greater Brunswick, they have to determine the optimal weather window about three to four days in advance so they can drive to Limestone and prepare the rocket.
The Stardust is 20 feet long, 14 centimeters in diameter, weighs about £ 650 and costs almost $ 1 million to build.
In addition to history, the team hopes it will also open the door to a relatively untapped market for academic and commercial payload launches.
Deri said on January 15 that the company has learned by attending numerous conferences and interviewing dozens of customers that there are no small, dedicated rockets equipped to carry one to three payloads.
On January 31, the rocket launched with three payloads on board – a scientific payload from Falmouth High School, aviation material from Kellogg Research Lab in New Hampshire and a Rocket Rock Bumbler and Syrup waffle from Rocket Insights in Massachusetts.
(The rocket will be launched with three cargo loads on board – a scientific payload from Falmouth High School, aviation material from Kellogg Research Lab in New Hampshire and a Rocket Rock Bumbler and Syrup Waffle from Rocket Insights in Massachusetts.)
The CEO said during the first launch that companies like SpaceX and United Launch Alliance can be compared in a similar way to freight trains and that a company like Rocket Lab is similar to a bus line.
“And we’re going to be the Uber of space,” Deri said.