We're thrilled to be collaborating with Project SunrIde on a mission to send a space dart, of SunRide's design and construction, to the edge of space. We have reviived the concept of the "Space dart" first demonstrated in the 1950s, wherebyWe will aim to put the dart up to an apogee comfortably over 100 km. The launch will take place from a Black Sea coastal military range in Romania. Two darts and two boosters will be built and the first will be a test launch to around 50 km, followed by an attempt on the von Kármán line (100 km), later in the year.
Together, by sharing our experience and resources we can all benefit and work towards cheaper and more accessible transit to the high atmosphere and eventually space. Working with engineers in Germany, Romania, Switzerland, France, The UK, The Netherlands and beyond, it is truly a collaboration without borders. With design work and simulations progressing rapidly, over the coming months, manufacture of the dart and its booster will take place in the coming months. Pprototyping and manufacture of avionics is already well underway.
Introducing Space Dart: the high-power rocket to support our mission of reaching the Kármán line. This is a joint venture between Project SunrIde and Spacefleet Ltd that has been developing behind the scenes since July 2021.
We aim to launch two Darts, in eastern Romania, currently planning for April-June of this year.
The Darts will be flying test-benches for SunRide's objectives:
- Validate our new Telemetry and Ground Station that will be used forSunRide's "Karman Alpha" mission
- Test a new recovery system
- Demonstrate an affordable high-altitude vehicle
- Challenge the UK’s current open altitude record
Building upon the lessons learnt from the first launch, Space Dart II will aim to exceed a 100km altitude. If it does, SunRide will become the first European student rocketry team to reach space.
More progress reports to come!