Successful flight of Polish suborbital rocket BIGOS 4
At the training ground in Drawsko Pomorskie, SpaceForest tested its prototype of the BIGOS 4 suborbital rocket. The rocket reached an altitude of 15 kilometers in 50 seconds and developed a maximum speed of 2 Ma.
The tests took place last Sunday, November 25. SpaceForest wanted to verify the parameter of theoIn the aerodynamic and structural assumptions of the rocket in supersonic flight. Tested roalso communication with the rocket during flight, checked the course of refueling the rocket after placing it on the launch pad, and verified a set of procedures to properly carry out the vehicle test.
The rocket and its designers passed the test with flying colors. BIGOS 4 has reached a speed of 2 Ma and a ceiling of 15 kilometersow, whichory due tooin safety is the maximum ceiling at the Drawsko training ground. All this in a time of 50 seconds. The exemplary behavior of roalso designed by specialistow with SpaceForest autonomous tracking and data transmission system RASEL.
– The 15-km ceiling, although not a limitation from the point of view of achieving theoin the BIGOS 4 missile, is currently the maximum ceiling established at the Drawsko firing range for reasons ofoin safety. However, it is sufficient to develop supersonic speed and test the aerodynamic properties of the rocket in conditions of already significantly diluted air. The test allowed us to roalso confirm previous calculations of the amount of fuel, whichore had to be refueled in order not to exceed this ceiling. We are pleased that we were able to verify our assumptions with very high accuracy – said Robert Magiera, president of SpaceForest quoted in a communiqué published on the website of the Polish Space Agency.
Magiera added that, as with the first test of the BIGOS 4 rocket, the ktory took place on November 2, all components of the structure were recovered and are suitable for reuse. The SpaceForest chief also expressed satisfaction with the successful refueling procedure of the rocket after it was placed on the launch pad. This procedure is a requirement at ports in Sweden or Norway and is a prerequisite for moc use them for commercial purposes.
The rocket with the familiar-sounding name BIGOS 4 measures 5500 mm in height and 204 mm in diameter. Devoid of propellant, the vehicle weighs 65 kg and has a launch mass of 100 kg. Its design can be 100 percent. recovered and ready for reuse within 72 hours of the previous mission.
BIGOS 4 is a 1:2 scale model of the PERUN rocket – a future suborbital rocket of the SIR category. Suborbital Inexpensive Rocket), whichora row also being designed and developed by SpaceForest’s. The company’s project is benefiting from a grant from the National Center for Research and Development (NCBR). The goal of the project is to create the first Polish rocket capable of carrying a 50 kg payload to a ceiling of 150 km.
PERUN rocket is expected to have an 11-meterow and will have the SF1000 hybrid rocket propulsion system (1 million Ns) being developed at SpaceForest. The use of such a propulsion system will make it possible to regulate the acceleration of the vehicle during flight and to abort the mission in an emergency without destroying the rocket. The rocket’s control system will make it possible to control the flight trajectory and safely use the planned launch siteow. The single-stage design will be a reusable rocket, which will significantly reduce the cost of launching a payloadow.
As Magiera acknowledged, PERUN is designed to provide high performance with low operating costs. The head of the company added that PERUN will be a commercially attractive choice for customeroWe offer the lowest prices for such services in the world.
Poland’s suborbital rocket technologies are currently being developed by SpaceForest and the Institute of Aviation, ktory developed the ILR-33 rocket „Amber” being a demonstrator of green hybrid rocket propulsion technology using highly concentrated hydrogen peroxide.
– BIGOSA 4’s successful test opens the possibility for SpaceForest to build in krohe rockets, whichora reaching the space frontier, will allow commercial services to the entityoin private and scientific. While having a track record of many successful testoin Polish solutions on the rocket, it will be easier to enter as a subcontractor to global projectsow related to rockets,” admitted Dr. hab. Grzegorz Brona, president of the Polish Space Agency.