Through Boost!, ESA supports the development, deployment and use of new European commercial space transportation services, under private leadership and responsibility.
The new contract signed with HyImpulse on 12 December focusses on upcoming technical milestones in the development of the company’s SL1 ‘Small Launcher’. The lightweight rocket is designed to launch small satellites up to 500 kg out to low-Earth orbit, powered by a green, hybrid engine fuelled by paraffin and liquid oxygen.
In one of the first Boost! co-funding contracts, signed in late 2020, ESA started supporting HyImpulse Technologies GmbH to elaborate the preliminary design and verification plans for the SL1 orbital launch vehicle, as well as the development of necessary ground equipment to test its critical subsystems.
This new agreement sees ESA provide €6.5 million in co-funding for the next steps, which will be a European effort bringing together HyImpulse’s German and UK offices, in collaboration with the SaxaVord Spaceport in Scotland and a new joint venture, Carbon Launch Systems Ltd, recently created by HyImpulse and Greek manufacturer Adamant Composites.
At its site in Neuenstadt am Kocher, southern Germany, HyImpulse will design, develop, manufacture and test critical components of the SL1 propulsion system. From here it will also develop the flight versions of the hybrid engine, ‘powerpack’ components and ‘Thrust Vector Control’ system that will control the direction of the launch vehicle.
In the UK, HyImpulse’s focus is on developing its carbon-fibre reinforced plastic tanks and a launchpad and ground segment for the first orbital launch from the UK – the SaxaVord Spaceport in the UK. The company will also continue to test the rocket’s hybrid propulsion system in the Shetland Islands and Carbon Launch Systems will be established to manufacture the ultra-lightweight carbon-fibre reinforced plastic liquid oxygen tanks.
ESA’s commercial services manager for Space Transportation, Jørgen Bru, said “HyImpulse has made remarkable progress towards bringing hybrid propulsion to operations and ESA is dedicating further support to the orbital launch services under development”.
Christian Schmierer, co-CEO of HyImpulse said, “Commencing this next phase of orbital launch vehicle development, launching our first sounding rocket demonstrator and rapidly expanding our UK operation are very significant milestones for 2024 and beyond. We have a good history of working with SaxaVord and Adamant Composites and look forward to this next phase of these relationships.
"With this new support received through ESA we will make significant progress on our unique hybrid launch service which will be a game changer for reducing the cost of access to space, getting small satellites where they need to go safely and on-demand.”
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