2024-05-03 13:29:19
German company HyImpulse successfully launched a rocket using paraffin or candle wax as fuel on Friday, Reuters and AFP reported.
The company is testing the technology before the first orbital flight, planned for the end of 2025. The rocket was launched from a launch pad in Cooneaba, South Australia, BTA reported.
It is called SR75, its height is 12 meters and it weighs 2.5 tons. The device, which is not powerful enough to orbit the Earth, has the capacity to carry small satellites weighing up to 250 kg at an altitude of up to 250 km, notes Reuters.
The purpose of the test launch is to collect data on the operation of the propulsion and control systems.
Paraffin can be used as a cheaper and safer alternative rocket fuel, reducing the cost of transporting satellites by up to 50 percent, HyImpulse says.
The company, which has 65 employees, says orders worth 100 million euros ($105 million) have already been received.
It is also preparing to launch the SL-1, a larger, multi-stage rocket that can launch satellites weighing up to 600 kg into low Earth orbit by the end of next year, Reuters noted.