LIMESTONE, Maine – the small crew of about 10 bluShift Aerospace made history on Sunday when they sent the Stardust 1.0 rocket into the sky, marking the world’s first commercial launch of a bio-fueled rocket and the first launch commercial rocket ship in Maine.
BluShift Aerospace’s plans to make history with the launch of Stardust 1.0 have been delayed by cloudy skies for the second time this month. When the rocket finally takes off, it will be the first commercial launch of a biofuel-powered rocket 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 work properly on the rocket and they had to heat them up, said bluShift CEO Sascha Deri.
The temperature was 14 degrees below zero around 6 am, he said.
“We know that our batteries cannot be used with less than minus 10,” he said. “I didn’t even think it would be a problem, but I don’t think I knew Aroostook County well enough.”
After that, the sky was cloudy for a brief period, but then it cleared for launch around 10:30 am. Unfortunately, the rocket did not leave the tower during this attempt, which Deri attributes to the main valve to be under pressure and unable to open.
“It was a learning experience. We wanted to prevent the gas from getting lost, but we shouldn’t have done that, ”he said.
Another launch attempt, about an hour later, also resulted in the rocket failing to clean the tower – caused by the leakage of the ignition fluid. Deri clarified that the ignition fluid is separated from the derived fuel owned by the company.
The ignition fluid was refilled at around 1:56 pm and the crew immediately started to pressurize and heat the system for launch. At that time, Deri said: “It is very good and I think we have good chances. I hope we can say that the third time is charm. “
At about 3 pm, the rocket was able to launch without noticeable problems, with the payload parachute being launched in time for the materials to appear to land safely.
“The good news is that we had a successful launch. The incredible news is that it landed in an easily accessible place, ”said Deri. He also thanked the Bouchard family for locating the rocket on snowmobiles in such a short time.
“I feel incredibly lucky,” he said.
The launch was originally planned for October 28, 2020, but was moved to November so that the team could conduct additional tests that they deemed essential for the rocket’s performance. During that time, engineers discovered that the rocket design could be improved and the launch was delayed a second time.
The improvements included improvements to the sealing rings, extra thermal shielding added to key areas of the rocket – particularly around the combustion chamber and within the telemetry area – telemetry improvements for datalink reliability and improvements to the launch trailer thermal shielding so it can be reused.
In the next attempt, the crew was fully prepared to launch the Stardust on the morning of January 15, but cloud cover prevented them from obtaining approval from the Federal Aviation Administration. Originally scheduled for 8 am, the launch was later changed to 10 am, and the schedule was postponed in increments all day until the team no longer had adequate daylight for the launch.
The FAA requires notification one hour before launch, then 15 minutes before and one more shortly after the launch is complete.
The team needs 48 hours with cloud cover below 50% of the flight ceiling, or 5,200 feet above sea level, for the launch to take place. The winds also need to be calm. And since the crew is based in Greater Brunswick, they need to determine the ideal time window about three to four days ahead of time so that they can drive to Limestone and prepare the rocket.
The Stardust is 6 meters high, 35 centimeters in diameter, weighs about 650 pounds and cost almost $ 1 million to build.
In addition to making history, the team hopes that this will open the door to a relatively untapped market for academic and commercial payload launches.
Deri said on Jan. 15 that the company learned from several conferences and interviews with dozens of customers that there are no small, dedicated rocket launches equipped to carry one to three payloads.
On January 31, the rocket was launched with three cargoes on board – a scientific cargo from Falmouth High School, aerospace materials from the Kellogg Research Lab in New Hampshire and a Rocket Rock Bumbler and Stroopwafel from Rocket Insights in Massachusetts.
(The rocket will be launched with three payloads on board – a scientific payload from Falmouth High School, aerospace materials from the Kellogg Research Lab in New Hampshire, and a Rocket Rock Bumbler and Stroopwafel from Rocket Insights in Massachusetts.)
The CEO said in the first launch that, in a way, companies like SpaceX and the United Launch Alliance could be compared 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,” said Deri.