A launch licence approved by the UK Civil Aviation Authority on 28 July grants HyImpulse permission to launch its SR75 rocket for the first time from SaxaVord Spaceport in Scotland between 1 December 2023 and 30 November 2024.
The single-stage suborbital SR75 rocket is powered by one of the company’s HyPLOX-75 hybrid rocket motors which are capable of producing 75 kN of thrust. The rocket is designed to carry a maximum payload of 250 kilograms and reach altitudes of approximately 200 kilometres. Although the rocket will be used to offer commercial microgravity testing services, its primary role will be as a test bed for the company’s larger SL1 orbital rocket.
In early May, HyImpulse announced that it had completed its eighth test campaign from its testing facility at Scatsta Airport on the island of Shetland off the coast of Scotland. The test was the final major milestone the company needed to achieve in the development of its propulsion system, enabling it to begin preparing for a maiden flight.
Despite the success of its testing in the UK, HyImpulse has expressed frustration at the fact that its testing needs to be in Scotland when the world-class DLR testing facility sits just a few kilometres from its headquarters.
“We’re pressed for time. We’re so close. In this respect, we hope that the financial and bureaucratic hurdles to using the test center of the federally owned DLR, which is so close by, will be quickly removed for German start-ups,” explained CEO Dr. Mario Kobald.
Although having the DLR testing facility opened would likely not affect the company’s preparations for the maiden SR75 flight, once the flight is completed, it will be looking toward the maiden flight of its SL1 orbital vehicle. Having a test facility a short distance from its headquarters will likely make a significant difference in the preparations for that flight.
According to HyImpulse co-CEO Christian Schmierer, the maiden flight of SR75 will carry a non-active payload that will be used for “outreach purposes.”
Update: A previous version of this article stated that the HyPLOX75 hybrid motor is capable of producing 90 kN of thrust. However, when flown aboard the SR75 suborbital rocket it is only capable of producing 75 kN. When flown aboard the larger SL1 vehicle, the performance of the motor is increased with the use of turbopumps.
