The ILR-33 Amber 2K rocket, developed by the Warsaw Institute of Aviation, is equipped with an innovative hybrid engine and solid propellant engines.
The test, supported and partially funded by the Polish Space Agency (POLSA), aims to demonstrate the rocket’s capabilities in a configuration designed for regular suborbital flights.
Paweł Stężycki, director of the Warsaw Institute of Aviation, highlighted the rocket's unique ecological focus.
"The Amber is the first rocket in the world to use 98 percent concentration hydrogen peroxide as an oxidizer, making it one of the most environmentally friendly propellants available," he said.
"With this project and its technologies, we aim to prove that sustainable, eco-friendly transportation is feasible in space," he added.
The rocket incorporates several advanced technologies, including a modular onboard computer, pyro-cartridges, pyrotechnic valves and a mobile autonomous launcher.
These innovations could be applied to other rocket systems.
The rocket will undergo testing in Norway due to the specific requirements of such a mission. The country has a space center suited for launching space vehicles.
"The international nature of the research work is due to the fact that the planned test involves a mission with a large permissible area for rocket stages and systems to fall, and for safety reasons, the tests are conducted outside of Poland," said Adam Okniński, a director of the Institute's Center for Space Technology.
According to POLSA, this effort enhances Poland's rocket technology capabilities and enlarges the involvement of Polish consortia in numerous international projects run by the European Space Agency, the European Defence Agency and the European Defence Fund.
Michał Wierciński, Vice President of POLSA, emphasized the test's broader significance.
"The field tests of the Amber are crucial for the development of rocket technology in Poland," he said.
"Our engineers' skills and experience in rocket design now serve as a basis for participation in the development of other major space rockets and projects for the Polish armed forces," he added.
It is expected that the Amber rocket will serve various applications, including atmospheric research and carrying diverse scientific experiments.
The rocket will also be used by Polish company Thorium Space from 2025 to 2027 in a government-backed project called "Satellite remote sensing and communication system of suborbital research rockets - Phase II," aimed at developing new technological products for the space sector.
Sylwester Wyka, deputy director for research at the Warsaw Institute of Aviation, expressed optimism about future tests.
"It is already clear that the rocket will be used in the coming years by Thorium Space, contributing significantly to the development of new technologies for the space sector," he said.
The Amber is designed for maximum velocity of 1.4 km/s. Most suborbital rockets need to achieve at least 1 km/s to reach the boundary of space, which is defined by the Kármán line at about 100 kilometers above the Earth's surface.
(rt/gs)
Source: PAP