Assembly_2024

Who is Phoenix and why was it in the city centre? 

by with No Comment BlogEvents

Phoenix is our sounding rocket, which we have spent the last 12 months designing, building and testing. It will be launched on 2 or 3 November this year, reaching an altitude of around 9 km. Before the launch, the individual parts of the rocket must be carefully and structurally assembled. The final preparations are currently underway to ensure that the entire assembly process runs smoothly during the launch, with a particular focus on optimising collaboration. 

Due to the presence of different systems, a rocket assembly consists of numerous stations in which all our technical teams have to work together in an integrated manner. We start with the tank as the central element of the rocket and assemble the corresponding hydraulic components. This includes the quick disconnect to the ground station, main and secondary valves, as well as sensors for measuring pressure and flow rate. Once this intermediate stage is in place, the combustion chamber is assembled together with the injector plate, paraffin fuel, igniter, nozzle, etc. This completes the lower part of Phoenix, followed by the nose cone and the fairing – which contains the recovery system and the flight computers. Last but not least, the fins and the boattail are added as aerodynamic interface elements at the height of the combustion chamber and Phoenix with a total length of more than 4.5 metres is assembled. 

In our various test runs, we were able to develop a routine for the processes as well as estimate the time required: on average around 1.5 hours. 

One of these montages were carried out in Bremen’s public space, at the Hanseatenhof. Despite the changing weather at that saturday noon, we and the interested viewers had a great time at this public assembly! Many passersby and children were able to ask their questions. Thereby we were able to represent our “City of Aerospace” Bremen in a special way while showing our own enthusiasm for space. We want to make learning about and the fascination for space reachable – not just for the technically savvy, but also for all the stargazers and creative space-dreamers.  

All in all, we are very happy with our public assembly! Next comes the last days and weeks of preparation for the delivery from Phoenix to the Californian Mojave Desert, U.S.. The launch date is the weekend of November 2nd – November 3rd, 2024 between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m., german time. 

We assemble the interstage, which is the main structural component connecting the combustion chamber and our tank.
Of course, our mascot Oktavia was also there!
Our team and Phoenix in the city after the successful assembly.
Members of our team at EuRoC 2023

Our year 2023

by with No Comment Association

In time for the new year, we want to take a look back at the year past. We have learned so much and grown beyond ourselves. We were able to celebrate many successes, the small ones as well as some bigger ones. We made incredible progress in all teams, gained new experiences and have now reached a new and exciting point in our association’s work.

But let’s take a look at everything from January 2023 on:

At the beginning of the year, we organized our first networking event in cooperation with Starthaus Bremen & Bremerhaven – and it was a complete success. We received so much positive feedback that we are now organizing this type of an event on a regular basis. 

In the meantime, our technical teams have finalized many manufacturing and production processes and completed some important rocket parts. For example, the Structure team produced the final CFRP-reinforced tank. And our Aerodynamics team simulated the trajectory and designed our fins. 

From April 2023, the major test phase of our rocket subsystems began. We carried out the first Hotfire test in the DLR institute of Space Propulsion at Lampoldshausen. We tested the propulsion of our rocket and the load capacity of our tank. 

Meanwhile, the recovery team tested our parachute at the wind tunnel test facility of TU Delft, Netherlands. There, the parachute and the ejection system were tested in a wind tunnel at a maximum speed of 100 km/h for stability and tear resistance. We were also able to celebrate our first major success of the year there: our parachute works! 

Of course, our avionics team was also involved in all these and other tests. They constantly developed the flight computer further and put the individual parts together.

In the summer, we then set off for a second hot-fire test, again at the DLR in Lampoldshausen. There we experienced another great success: we had a successful blowdown with 10s thrust with an average of 2.2 kN. Our tank also withstood a pressure of 90 bar.

On top of all these successes, we had the great opportunity to travel Portugal to take part in the annual EuRoC rocket competition. Although we were, unfortunately, unable to launch our rocket there, we were able to gain many insights into the work of other teams, receive professional feedback on our design, and see other rockets being launched. 

We are especially happy about the amazing report in Buten un Binnen that shows our attendance at EuRoC and presents our association in a vivid and authentic way. We would like to thank Anna-Lena Borchert once again for this wonderful opportunity! 

Back in Germany, we kicked off our next networking event in cooperation with Starthaus Bremen & Bremerhaven, this time focusing on sustainability in space. We were delighted to welcome guests such as Holger Oelze (CEO ZARM Technik AG), Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Michal Kucera (University Bremen) and Siegfried Monser (Space Co-Ordinater Bremen). The discussions and exchanges with people from business, science, politics and society were incredibly enriching. 

Towards the end of the year we started designing our new rocket. We want to launch this at EuRoC 2024. We have incorporated the feedback and other requirements and are now implementing this in our new designs. 

We were also able to attend the Space Tech Expo in Bremen for the third time in a row and share our enthusiasm for space with people from all over the world. 

At the end of the year, we said farewell to our old executive board and re-elected them. We would like to thank our former board for their supportive work over the past year and wish the members who are leaving us all the best! We are very grateful to welcome two new, extremely committed members to the board and look forward to your ideas and suggestions! 

We would also like to thank our sponsors very much. Without your material, informational, and financial support we would not have been able to do any of this!

We are incredibly excited about the year 2024 ahead of us, to all the challenges we will overcome and all the successes we will celebrate. See you in one year! 

Our booth at STE 2023

Space Tech Expo 2023

by with No Comment Events

There is a saying in Bremen: „Drei Mal ist Bremer Recht“ (translated: Three times is Bremen law). In line with this, we had the opportunity, and seemingly the Bremen social responsibility, to exhibit at the Space Tech Expo for the third time this year. In recent years, we have been able to make an incredible number of contacts, gain experience and exchange ideas with experts. This time of the year we get to meet many of our collaborators, partners, sponsors and fellow rocketeers. The knowledge exchange we have is an unparalleled experience thereby making it one of the most exciting events of the year for ASTRA e.V to look forward to. A huge shoutout to Gordon McHattie for his constant support for our presence at the Expo each year!

So, we set up our booth again this year and took part in Europe’s biggest aerospace trade fair. With more than 7,500 visitors, we were able to spend three days in a row talking, gathering ideas and sharing our enthusiasm for space. This year was very special for us: We were able to exhibit the rocket we built for the first time! Explaining our design, the function and the construction of individual parts was much easier as our assembled rocket was displayed in the booth itself. At the same time, we were able to get direct feedback from colleagues, managers, engineers, scientists and many more. This is, of course, super valuable and constructive for us. As we are currently working on a design for our new rocket, Karma 2.0, having this feedback gives us the opportunity to receive and implement suggestions, ideas and criticism directly.

In addition to lots of ideas and incredibly great conversations, the Space Tech Expo means one thing: lots of fun! Of course, we also enjoy walking around and looking at innovative exhibitors, testing out fun offers or listening to exciting talks. After all, that’s what brings us all together at Space Tech Expo: endless interest and enthusiasm for space!

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Working with Buten un Binnen – A thousand thanks!

by with No Comment Other

A thousand thanks: working with Buten un Binnen 

ASTRA e.V. has existed for more than two years now. Since then we have met more and more people who have listened to our idea and our passion. We were able to infect many with our enthusiasm for practice, rockets and teamwork. Among them was Anna-Lena Borchert. She is a journalist at Buten un Binnen in Bremen and learned about us through Dirk from Radio Bremen. She was touched by the idea of our group of students who are passionate about building rockets and devote all their time and heart and soul to it. So she decided to contact us.  

In one of our monthly meetings she had for the first time the opportunity to meet us all personally and to experience our team spirit and our enthusiasm for our association. After that she accompanied us on many steps further and also helped us a lot with knowledge about film documentation. Through her we got the great opportunity to present ourselves in a short video on TV and to show the idea of our association. A thousand thanks to you Anna-Lena for believing in us and spending so much time accompanying us on our way in the last months. 

Want to see the video? Then click here:
https://www.butenunbinnen.de/videos/studierende-bauen-rakete-100.html 

Anna-Lena also made it possible for us to have an article at Tagesschau. You can find it here:
Bremen: So will eine Bremer Studenten-Gruppe ins Weltall vordringen | tagesschau.de 

Our network event at DHI in collaboration with Starthaus.

Successful start – three Bremen initiatives create meeting space for space enthusiasts

by with No Comment Events

The organizers counted around 65 participants at the first matchmaking event for aerospace, which took place last Thursday at the Digital Hub Industry (DHI) in Bremen. With this, the organizers – the Starthaus Bremen and the DHI in cooperation with ASTRA e.V. – have already achieved two of their three goals. At the first meeting of this kind, not only were local companies, associations and groups related to space travel able to present themselves. There was also a lively exchange and professional discussions. 

Bremen is one of the top locations for aerospace in Europe. With more than 140 companies and 20 institutes in and around Bremen, the region is an important innovative location for space technologies. It is therefore no surprise that Bremen is also one of the few locations in Germany where young people can study space technology with a variety of specializations. This broad offering is a particular advantage of the location, but also brings with it some challenges.

So far, there are hardly any places where young scientists* from the engineering-technological field can have a professional and interdisciplinary exchange. Yet the young professionals are also looking for precisely such connections with each other and interdisciplinarily with other fields such as law, economics, logistics or biology. Because they want to combine innovation and sustainability. Having a space to develop prototype rockets, launchers, mini-satellites or other technologies themselves would be another big plus for Bremen as a location for the international community. It is precisely this kind of networked work, coupled with dedicated minds, that is urgently needed by the growing space industry.

In order to establish this link, we at ASTRA e.V. organized a matchmaking event in cooperation with the Starthaus Bremen & Bremerhaven and the Digital Hub Industry (DHI). First, the Starthaus and we introduced ourselves. This was followed by three different young start-ups from Bremen: Women in Aerospace, Astrait and Iorbit showed the whole breadth of what aerospace encompasses in their presentations. Well-known faces from industry and business also contributed. For example, guests included Holger Oelze (Managing Director of ZARM Technik AG) and Janusz Heitmann (DLR). Prof. Dr. Antonia Garcia from Bremens University of Applied Sciences emphasized the importance of such a bridge between young talent and companies or research. It was not just a matter of following lectures, but of getting to know each other in an open setting, exchanging ideas and developing ideas together. 

After the stage program, there was time for discussion and lively exchange. In the process, we were able to make important contacts and find supporters. All in all, the event was a complete success with more than 60 active participants. Our conclusion is very unanimous: „This is exactly what we need. We’ll definitely repeat it.“