Development of a Three-Stage Suborbital Rocket System to Lift Research Payloads

The project consisting in the design and launch of a three-stage suborbital rocket with a 40 kg payload covers the subjects of the rapid development of a multi-stage proof-of-concept vehicle, with a limited time to deploy. These finite resources and a negligible percentage of the technology available and tested in-house in advance led to the implementation of a chosen, well-known, industrial solutions into the concept for a winning strategy. The idea behind subsystems choice and the three-stage suborbital mission plan is discussed. The strategy of flight testing using a smaller, onestage, but a comparably fast and cost-saving testing rocket was used to shorten the mid technological readiness levels phase of the designed subsystems. An overview of the technologies used is provided and the lessons learned are explored. Problems and the details of their origin with the corresponding solutions are explained. The status of the project is presented together with restraints put on the project by the limited local launch possibilities, law and safety aspects. The main systems of the sub-orbital rocket will be presented, i.e., a composite rocket engine with a segmented structure powered by a solid propellant with an assumed thrust of 70 kN; the rocket control system based on rotary steering fins and dedicated algorithms to realize the atmospheric part of the programmed trajectory; on-board electronics in the form of a multi-module main computer responsible for the correct realization of the mission and communication with the ground station; recovery system based on a two-stage parachute system located in each stage of the rocket. The three-stage suborbital rocket development project is divided into three phases, which will last 3 years in total. The first phase is the conceptual design stage, along with laboratory tests of solutions and subsystems used in the rocket. The second phase consists in flight tests for individual stages, together with the decisive flight of a three-stage rocket made to reach the Karman line. The final stage is the commercialization of the developed technology and the creation of a service for carrying research loads of up to 40 kg. The value of the project is approximately $5 million. The project is co-financed by the National Centre for Research and Development (NCRD) as part of dedicated support for the Polish space industry.