2024-04-28 15:04:24
For the first time in decades, a commercial launch vehicle from a German company is set to launch. It is being tested in Australia.
People like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos are best known in private space travel. But private rocket builders from Germany also want to enter the market. The first launch of a launch vehicle from one of these German start-ups is scheduled for Tuesday in Koonibba, Australia. The twelve-meter-long rocket will fly with candle wax and oxygen, but will not cross the border into space. It is not the first launch of a private launch vehicle from Germany.
What exactly is supposed to blow up?
The company HyImpulse (based near Heilbronn) wants to send the SR75 carrier rocket 60 kilometers up. The rocket can carry a payload of 250 kilograms and is also capable of flying into space, says co-CEO and co-founder Christian Stricher. This is not planned this time under the current approval.
The engineers want to test the rocket’s engine. The drive concept is something special. The rocket flies with paraffin, i.e. candle wax, and liquid oxygen. The engine has now been worked on for more than ten years. The technology is already known, but has not yet been implemented in launch rockets, says Martin Tajmar, an expert in space technology at the TU Dresden. “There is no commercial rocket that uses this technology on a large scale.”
What is the purpose of all this?
The idea is to use the launch vehicle to make a better offer for small satellites, says Stricher. “So far there are mainly rockets on the market that you can imagine like buses or trains. They only drop off the satellites at certain places in orbit – like at a bus stop. Our rocket is more like a taxi.”
The rockets are cheaper thanks to the hybrid engine made of solid and liquid fuel, as fewer components are required than with conventional engines. The next starts are already planned, says the 36-year-old.
The rocket is HyImpulse’s first product. They are also working on a second, larger rocket that also has larger capacities. The rockets are expected to transport satellites into space in about a year and a half.
How should the start be assessed in an international context?
The world may not be watching the launch, but it is an important event for Germany, says space expert Tajmar. Overall, it is a niche market. But relevant for Europe because there is no one at the moment. In Europe, Arianespace’s rockets have played a crucial role in transporting satellites. An Ariane launcher that could launch something into space is not currently in operation.
Is private space travel stronger in other countries?
Tech billionaire Elon Musk’s rockets are responsible for around 90 percent of all rocket launches worldwide this year, explains Tajmar. Then follow China. The rest falls to the rest of the world. “That’s so unimportant.” There are a lot of private start-ups in China that have already flown into space.
The SpaceX founder set the standard high. “Everyone just looks on in awe and the Chinese try to copy it.” Not much else is happening at the moment. Musk also started with a small rocket. But he moved relatively quickly to larger models, which then became reusable, an enormous advantage in terms of price and availability. But: “You have to start somewhere,” says Tajmar, referring to German start-ups.
What does the provider expect in the long term?
Streicher is aware that there are already corresponding suppliers of small rockets in the USA and China. But they are far too expensive, he says. HyImpulse wants to be significantly more attractive in terms of price.
A launch of the larger commercial rocket costs around six million euros. They want to calculate around 6,500 euros per kilogram of payload. We already have a lot of customer inquiries and the order books are well filled. Politicians also hope to reduce costs by using private providers.
Who needs satellite taxis like this?
According to Streicher, customers include the automotive industry, which needs satellites for navigation and autonomous driving. They don’t want to leave the market to China and the USA. “As Europeans, we also need independence from the Americans, even if they are our partners.”
Former astronaut Ulrich Walter also sees many opportunities for private manufacturers of smaller rockets. According to him, the satellites will become smaller and smaller. The new small rocket providers are more flexible than the larger ones, where you have to book a place two years in advance. The market will grow significantly in the future, said the professor of space technology at the Technical University of Munich. That’s why he thinks the start-ups’ ideas are right.