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.
In May, the propulsion team of ASTRA achieved a very important milestone. The team successfully tested the propulsion system and fulfilled the requirements imposed by our system engineers for our future launch.
Our engineers at the Propulsion Test
I am Taro Tokita, currently the team lead of the propulsion team of ASTRA and I would like to tell you about the testing campaign of ASTRA’s new propulsion system. In simple terms, in the campaign we tested whether our engine works. As mentioned, the test was very successful and we were actually very efficient being able to hot fire twice on several days. But let’s start from the beginning!
Before we started with the actual hot fire testing though we had to pressure test our aluminium/CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced polymers) tank that the structures team of ASTRA made. Sadly, we experienced our biggest failure for the campaign here and the tank did not hold the required pressure of 90 bar (1.5 x). However, we were prepared for this situation and switched to the second tank that we brought which was made from steel and CFRP. This tank passed the test and so we could quickly continue our testing without longer hold ups.
Next, we characterized our injector plate with cold flow testing. These tests showed that our injector plate is kind of inefficient as it has a low discharge coefficient (this number describes the pressure drop that occurs when a fluid flows though the injector). As we realized later on this was actually better for us as this limited the oxidizer mass flow into the combustion chamber. Also, with these tests we leak proofed the setup and as there were no other anomalies we continued with the first hot fire test, a 2s burn!
For this first hot fire test everyone was nervous and slightly on edge. With all kinds of thoughts in our minds we assembled the test setup of the engine. After the last steps of sensor preparation were done, the team entered the control room to commence the filling operation of the tank. This was done via the ground systems in house built control unit. To our delight filling worked perfectly without any problems. Then, it was finally time to light the engine.
Countdown: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1,Ignition!
We saw the smoke from the Igniter exiting the nozzle. Then we saw how a lot of nitrous oxide exited the nozzle as well… For some reason, the fuel mixture did not catch on fire. This was confusing at first but after we took apart the motor, we realized that the problem was that one single Igniter did not produce enough heat to get the combustion reaction going. So this was an easy fix and we just used 2 Igniters. We assembled the system again and after the last steps of the setup we entered the control room hoping to see a flame this time.
Again, countdown: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1,Ignition!
Again, we saw the Igniters going off and then the engine fired and this was one of the most glorious moments of the campaign. We had no anomalies and no leaks, although the thrust generated was just slightly short of the target. By all accounts this was a near perfect result!
Our mascot Octavia after the test firing
The burn ended after 4s which is 2s more than what was planned. As we later found out, our main flow valve that controls the oxidizer flow into the chamber, cannot handle the liquid oxidizer flow and will only close as soon as the nitrous oxide changes to the gas phase. But now that we had proven that the engine works, we could continue testing and we directly went for a full duration test of 8s. We were able to replace the broken parts and the solid fuel grain and performed the next test on the same day. This test also showed no anomalies and therefore we could continue the campaign without any changes to the system. During the 3rd burn the nozzle partially eroded/melted so we replaced the nozzle with the second nozzle we brought. With the 3rd burn we also accumulated 2 similar thrust curves that we needed for one of the our launch requirements. Technically, we achieved our main goal.
With all subsequent tests we tried out different things. First, we included a Vortex plate that would mix the propellants in the chamber to increase efficiency. This worked very well for us and we also generated 2 similar thrust curves with this setup. This means that we could also fly with this setup at EUROC. Next, we also used a fuel grain that includes aluminium power. However, the powder was deposited in the outer most 2mm of the grain due to a centrifuge effect during the grain spinning process. Thus, this did not have a significant effect on the burn behaviour.
In the end we were able to perform 7 tests in 4 days, reached a peak thrust of over 7kN and fulfilled the requirements of our system. The next steps now are to evaluate all the data and to prepare for the launch at the end of this year.
I hope you enjoyed reading this blog entry and it gave you some insight about what is happening at ASTRA. Thank you for staying until the end, and don’t forget to expand your horizons!
For more information, pictures and videos: definitely check out our YouTube channel where a video about this testing campaign is published.
It is simply in the nature of working on a big project like ours as a student in your spare time that your availability can change without you being able to prepare for it. This has been the case for two of our most current board members. As they no longer have the time to focus on ASTRA in between their studies, our CFO Arne Stemme and our secretary Frederic Bolgen are stepping down from their positions as of May. We would like to thank them for their great contribution to our project and wish them all the best in their future endeavours!
We are at least as happy to welcome our new board members! The position of CFO will be taken over by our former Deputy CEO, Kevin Matjeka (3rd from left). Having worked on our sponsor relations for the past year, he is very familiar with our financial situation and we are delighted to have him taking over our finances. The position of Deputy CEO will be taken over by our Propulsion Team Lead Taro Tokita (1st from right). As he is an integral part of our technical work, his expertise will be a great help in making more informed decisions on our board regarding all things technical. Finally, we also have some new blood on our board. Sara Nufal (3rd from right) joined the project management team just last December, working mainly with Kevin Matjeka on sponsorship and helping to organise our recent networking event with Starthaus Bremen.
The new board starts it’s term at an exciting time: We are just starting to test the subsystems for our new rocket Phoenix for this year’s EuRoC 2024 competition. There is still a lot of work to be done and money to be raised in order to be able to compete.
So without further ado, let’s get to work and reach for the horizon!
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 with10sthrust 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!
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!
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.
Anyone who reads our website, talks to us, or receives a flyer from us knows directly: We want to reach outer space. We want to build a rocket that flies to 103.6 km, thus crossing the border to space. To achieve this, we are developing and building all the systems for a rocket which can achieve this lofty goal.
But of course, safety is our top priority. That’s why it was clear to us from the very beginning that we would not simply launch our first rocket straight to 100 km. So what do we do? We decided to build a smaller rocket to test all of our systems and the design overall. This scaled down rocket would „only“ reach an altitude of about 3 km, but will give us the opportunity to test technology and gain the experience we need to reach our final target. Accordingly, we are focused on building this smaller rocket KARMA.
Over the last few months we have been working very hard to get closer and closer to this goal. We have completed many components, conducted countless tests of individual systems, and have also learned lots in the process. Then we applied to EuRoC 2023. EuRoC is a Europe-wide competition for student groups that build rockets. There you can launch different types of rockets to different target heights (3km and 9km). The rocket that most accurately reaches the designated target altitude wins the competition in its category
After a long application period and a lot of preparation, a part of our team traveled to Portugal on October 7th – together with our 3m long rocket in our luggage. On site, many more tests were carried out and our rocket was fully assembled. Our engineers tried to implement as much feedback as possible in the short time and to improve and eliminate shortcomings in the rocket. Unfortunately, the time during the competition was not enough to change as much of the design as would have been necessary for a launch. Our launch was cancelled and our ASTRAnauts traveled back to Bremen.
Of course, the trip to Portugal wasn’t for nothing. In the short time before and during EuRoC, we were able to make an incredible amount of progress in the development of our rocket. Through many tests we got a lot of opportunities to optimize details of our rocket. We will now collect the feedback we have received and take the time to incorporate it into our next design with one goal: to launch our rocket KARMA successfully in 2024!
If you want to watch a short video about us at EuRoC, click here:
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.“
The biggest exhibition for the space industry of Europe “SpaceTechExpo” took place in Bremen again in November 2022 and ASTRA e.V. got to be one of the exhibitors! Every year this expo attracts exhibitors from the big players to small startups of the space industry who would like to present their ideas to an interested audience. This year was a special for members of space related student groups, because there was a group of booths at the SpaceTechExpo just for us!
Preparation for this event went smoother, because we already participated in 2021 and learned a lot from this. It was especially exciting displaying all of our new hardware protypes we were able to build in the last year. For the first time we had most of the final rocket parts to show to the public and this not only helped us getting more attention from curious persons, but also we got feedback and suggestions from some professionals or colleagues from other student groups. Directly next to our booth there was the Dutch student group DARE and the Swiss student group ARIS as well presenting their projects. Talking with everybody at the SpaceTechExpo in person with the hardware directly next to us turned out to be very valuable! This lead to new testing opportunities e.g. for the drop test we got support from KST regarding this and from DARE with their wind tunnel.
In the end these three days were tightly packed for us at ASTRA e.V. with booth duty, B2B meetings and talking to other people at their booth. But it was absolutely worth the efforts!
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