Newsletter  2019.3  Index

Theme : "The Conference of Fluid Engineering Division" Preface (T. HASHIMOTO，S. MATSUDA，H.J. PARK) Development and launch of sounding rockets and development status of small launch vehicle by Japanese startup company Takahiro INAGAWA (Interstellar Technologies Inc.) Experimental quantification of friction drag reduction effects on an airfoil using uniform blowing Kaoruko ETO, Yusuke KONDO, Koji FUKAGATA (Keio University)and Naoko TOKUGAWA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) Wind-tunnel experiments of friction drag reduction on an airfoil using passive blowing Shiho HIROKAWA, Kaoruko ETO, Yusuke KONDO, Koji FUKAGATA (Keio University)and Naoko  TOKUGAWA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) A Study on Airfoil Flow and Aerodynamic Noise with Wake-boundary layer Interaction Noriaki KOBAYASHI　(The University of Tokyo) LES Analysis of Stator Cascade Flow in a Transonic Axial Compressor Seishiro SAITO (Kyushu University) Influence of grid resolution in large-eddy simulation of a turbulent pipe flow using the WALE model Daiki IWASA, Yusuke NABAE, Koji FUKAGATA (Keio University) The Dreams of Flow Contest Tomomi TERADA (Hokkaido University)   Separation of floating waste by "Water Surface Control Device" Toshiki HOMMA　 (Meisei University)

 

Development and launch of sounding rockets and development status of small launch vehicle by Japanese startup company

Takahiro INAGAWA Toyo University

Abstract

Interstellar Technologies, Inc. (IST) has been developing a small liquid rocket as a private company since 2006. Headquartered in Hokkaido located north of Japan, small rocket is designed, manufactured, tested and launched. Key components of rockets such as engines and avionics (rocket electronics) are developed.

In order to develop a low-cost rocket, we choice rocket system such as selection of propellant, simplification of engine system, inexpensive rocket engine design / manufacture, avionics which adopted commercial off-the-shelf components. Our rocket propellants are ethanol / liquid oxygen. A particularly important technology is a pintle type injector, which is also developing joint research with the University of Tokyo. The pintle type injector was adopted also for the engine of the moon landing ship of Apollo project, it has excellent in combustion stability and low price.

We have been conducting rocket launch experiments since 2011 and carried out 13 launch experiments by 2018.
Starting in 2017, we are launching “MOMO”, a sounding rocket capable of sub-orbital flight to an altitude of over 100 km, which is defined as outer space.

The 1st MOMO launch was in July 2017 and it was partial success. And the 2nd launch was in June 2018 and the engine was broken immediately after lifting. We are currently preparing for 3rd launch.

Currently we are also developing a rocket to orbit micro satellites. The rocket name is “ZERO”, we are currently undertaking basic development for each component. Since ZERO becomes a turbo pump type, we conducted a test of a gas generator etc.

Key words

liquid rocket engine, new space, sounding rocket, small launch vehicle

Figures

Fig. 1 List of rocket launch experiment by IST

Fig. 2 Combustion experiment of rocket engine