Elon Musk also started small: For the first time in decades, a commercial launch vehicle from a German company took off. The twelve meter long rocket was tested in Australia.
People like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos are best known in private space travel. But private rocket builders from Germany are also entering the market. Now, for the first time in decades, a commercial launch vehicle from a German company has launched.
The twelve-meter-long rocket took off from Koonibba in Australia at around 7:10 a.m. CEST, a company spokesman said. The start was postponed several times due to weather. The rocket was powered by candle wax and oxygen, but did not cross the border into space.
What exactly blew up?
The SR75 launch vehicle has a payload of 250 kilograms. Her fuel was configured so that she could fly a maximum of 60 kilometers high. According to the company HyImpulse, which is based near Heilbronn, we will only know how high it actually rose once the rocket has been recovered and the flight recorder has been evaluated. According to HyImpulse, the rocket could also fly into space – but this was not planned this time under the existing approval.
The engineers wanted to test the rocket’s engine – and the special propulsion concept. The rocket flew with paraffin, i.e. candle wax, and liquid oxygen. The engine has 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?
According to HyImpulse co-founder Christian Stricher, the idea is to use the launch vehicle to make a better offer for small satellites. “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 launch of an orbital rocket with a larger payload is planned for the end of 2025.
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, said space expert Tajmar. Overall, it is a niche market. But it is 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.
In other countries, private space travel is much stronger, right?
Tech billionaire Elon Musk’s rockets are responsible for around 90 percent of all rocket launches worldwide this year, Tajmar explained. Then follow China. Everything else falls on the rest of the world. “That’s so unimportant.” There are many private start-ups in China that have already flown into space.
SpaceX founder Musk has 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 that were then reusable, a huge advantage in terms of price and availability. But: “You have to start somewhere,” said Tajmar, referring to the German start-ups.
What does the provider expect in the long term?
Streur 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 is much 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, 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.
According to Walter, back in the late 1970s a German company developed a private rocket that was supposed to be a cheaper alternative. There were some rocket tests by the Otrag company in Africa. “In today’s usage, Otrag would be described as a start-up.” However, the company Otrag (Orbital Transport and Rocket Corporation) was founded in the 1980s.
Which German companies are still in the starting blocks?
HyImpulse is not the only start-up in Germany that is currently working on the development of so-called microlaunchers. There are two competitors in the neighboring state of Bavaria: Rocket Factory in Augsburg and Isar Aerospace near Munich. All three were founded in recent years. They are working on launchers that can carry satellites into space and are planning their first test flights soon.
Despite the size of the market, Walter is certain that there will not be a need for so many German providers. It remains to be seen which start-up can prevail.