Brunswick-based bluShift Aerospace Inc., a startup company that develops rockets to propel small satellites into space, has successfully passed its first major test on Sunday, January 31.
According to the report of the Associated Press (AP), the company launched a 20-foot (6meter) prototype biofuel rocket that hit an altitude of a little over 4,000 feet (1,219 meters) in its first run, which is designed to test the propulsion and control systems of the rocket.
Sascha Deri, the CEO of bluShift Aerospace, said that the launch went perfectly and landed right where they were hoping and planning for it to land. "It couldn't have been better than that," Deri said.
Stardust 1.0 is a small biofuel prototype rocket bluShift Aerospace that acts as a testbed for future bluShift rockets capable of launching tiny nanosatellites.
History Has Been Made: First Biofuel Rocket Launched From Maine
Space.com reported that it tool bluShift Aerospace several tries to launch Stardust 1.0, with a launch attempt on January 14 that was prevented by bad weather, and then on Sunday, they experienced a pressure issue with an oxidizer valve that prevented the rocket's liftoff.
Someone could even be heard saying in the webcast of the company that the rocket is not launching. Their second attempt in about 90 minutes later also failed when the igniter did not kick-off as planned. Plus, there are issues as well on the freezing temperature and network issues during the countdown.
But in mid-afternoon, bluShift finally successfully launched the Stardust 1.0 off its support rail and flew over 4,000 feet up, and deployed a parachute back to Earth.
"We couldn't be more delighted than [with] what happened today," Deri said.
According to the Press Herald, the launch of Stardust 1.0 is considered a historical event being the first to launch a rocket in Maine and the first in the world to launch a biofuel-powered rocket.
Stardust 1.0 was launched from the former Loring Air Force Base in Limestone at around 3 pm, carrying three payloads wherein two were commercial, and the other one is a science project courtesy of the Falmouth High School.
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The Goal is to Launch Nanosatellites Into Low-Earth Orbit
According to AP, bluShift Aerospace is banking on becoming a quicker and more efficient way of transporting satellites into space. Deri said that they aim to become the Uber to space to carry one to three payloads profitably.
What makes their rocket stand-out is the hybrid propulsion system that they use, which relies on solid fuel and liquid propellant called the Modular Adaptable Rocket Engine for Vehicle Launch (MAREVL). It uses a proprietary solid biofuel that is non-toxic, carbon-neutral, and affordable that can be sourced from farms across the US.
The company plans to make two larger suborbital rockets, the Stardust 2.0 and its bigger cousin, the Starless Rogue, that can provide six minutes of weightlessness for payloads for $300,000. They also plan to make an orbital rocket, called the Red Dwarf, which could carry 66lbs (30kg) nanosatellites for about $60,000 per kilogram.
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