Hyimpulse, a German aerospace start-up, has announced that it has successfully launched the first rocket fueled by paraffin, i.e. candle wax, to test the technology ahead of a first orbital flight at the end of the year 2025, AFP notes, AGERPRES writes.
SR75 missile PHOTO: Facebook/HyImpulse
The small SR75 rocket, equipped with a single stage and measuring 12 meters in length, was launched from southern Australia at 05:10 GMT, Hyimpulse, based in Heilbronn, western Germany, said in a statement. .
The suborbital launcher, which is not powerful enough to place itself in orbit around Earth, was designed to reach an altitude of 250 kilometers and carry a payload of 250 kilograms. The purpose of the test launch is to obtain data on the operation of the propulsion system and control systems.
With this launch, Hyimpulse, a company founded in 2018 and which has 65 employees, sends “a signal about Germany's capabilities as a space power and widens Europe's access to the space zone”said its co-founder Mario Kobald, quoted in the same press release.
Competition is fierce in Europe for space minilauncher projects. In Germany, Hyimpulse competes with rockets developed by Isar Aerospace and RFA, in France with rockets produced by Maiaspace and Latitude, and in Spain with devices invented by PLD Space. This Spanish company made its first suborbital demonstration flight in October 2023.
In order to gain a comparative advantage in this niche, Hyimpulse relies on an innovative propulsion that combines liquid oxygen and paraffin, “which does not present a risk of explosion”. Paraffin is less expensive and less complex technology is used, according to Hyimpulse, which talks about “a launch vehicle construction that is about 40% cheaper than if it had conventional propulsion systems”.
According to the data that will be obtained, this start-up will perfect the development of its SL1 rocket, with a length of 32 meters and whose maiden flight is scheduled for the end of 2025. The SL1 rocket will be able to carry up to 600 kilograms of payload up to an altitude of 500 kilometers, enough to reach low Earth orbit.
