The North Star Rocket Family

Abstract

The North Star Rocket Family is a family of rockets based on hybrid rocket motors clustered together to form 2- stage sounding rockets for scientific research. Two sizes of 2-stage sounding rockets are planned and together these “launcher elements” form the basis for a small launcher. The initial version of the small launcher will be able to serve the market for dedicated launches of 20-25kg into a 250-350km SSO orbit. This market will be extremely cost sensitive and is seen as the low end of the space market. It is crucial for the concept that the component cost is kept low enough. “Space qualified” components are not likely to fit into this model.

Commonality between the sounding rocket market and the small launcher segment are the basis for obtaining economy-of-scale. The selection of components is tailored towards “industry quality” components, characterized by manufacturing processes which provide reliability through robust processes and sufficient quantities. The intended launcher will strive to be the smallest possible to do the job, and size alone will already keep the cost down. Only if the launcher is small enough can the propulsion system also be used as the propulsion system for the sounding rocket market, which is urgently looking for new motors. The propulsion system constitutes the single largest subsystem of a launcher and has therefore been the primary focus of the work.

To reach our goal, disruptive thinking is needed to assemble a new rocket based on a novel propulsion system. But the success also builds on the modularity aspects of the hybrid propulsion, the ease of upgrading it and the inherent safe behavior. The North Star project is the only project around which attacks the launch cost from below, i.e. by developing an efficient, safe and cost effective propulsion system first. The first firings of the scaled-up hybrid motors have been successful.