Student Launch Opportunities: Procyon Rocket

ESRA is currently developing a hybrid sounding rocket capable of delivering a 20-pound payload to an altitude of 100 km (62 miles) above sea level (the internationally-recognized boundary of space).

The rocket, the Procyon, will fly its suborbital flights from the Black Rock Desert in northwest Nevada from ESRA’s portable launch trailer.

The payload for the first flight will be student-built CubeSats (http://cubesat.calpoly.edu/). They will remain with the rocket and be recovered after the flight. As we get closer to being ready for the first flight, we will begin contacting schools with CubeSat programs for participation. There will be no cost to the schools for the first launch as the rocket is being funded by a generous donation from a benefactor.

The Procyon will be 17 inches in diameter and approximately 20 feet long. It will use approximately 300 pounds of liquid oxygen and 175 pounds of modified synthetic rubber fuel. The motor will be 12 inches in diameter and approximately 6 feet long. The payload will be housed in a 4-foot long by 17-inch diameter nosecone. Altitude tracking will be by GPS. Rocket performance data will be telemetered to the ground and also recorded onboard. Payload data storage or telemetry will be the responsibility of the payload teams.

A subscale rocket, the Stratos, is being designed and built to test the manufacturing processes and basic design features of the Procyon. The Stratos will use a 6-inch diameter motor generating approximately 2000 pounds of thrust. It contains 35 pounds of modified synthetic rubber and will use approximately 60 pounds of liquid oxygen. To test as much hardware as possible, it will use the same oxidizer valving, avionics, and recovery system as the Procyon. The Stratos will reach approximately 50,000 feet altitude, and will also be launched from Black Rock.

Current Status:

2/25/07

The propulsion system for the Stratos is being built. The motor has been completed and now the oxidizer plumbing is being assembled. The next major test is to flow test the oxidizer system first with water and then with liquid nitrogen.

The launch trailer is being modified with a forward ramp to allow liquid oxygen dewars to be wheeled onto the front of the trailer.