A Brunswick-based aerospace company has made strides in its goal to launch a sustainably-powered rocket into Earth’s atmosphere.
Since 2016, bluShift has been building and working on launching rockets that are powered with biofuels. Its eventual goal is to carry small experiments and satellites to space.
On Friday, the company successfully tested its rocket engine, reaching full throttle for more than 60 seconds. The 60-second burn test will allow the company to determine how much the rocket can carry, and how far, and will allow the company to gauge if the rocket is flight-ready.
The Friday test showed that the company’s “Starless Rogue” rocket could be launched into space by a 60-second burst of propulsion.
“A successful flight-duration test is a major indicator for any rocket company in their progression towards commercial launch,” CEO Sascha Deri said. “With this test behind us, we can now begin to work towards vertical flight configuration on our launch vehicle Starless Rogue.”
One of bluShift’s potential launch sites is Down East, two nautical miles off the coast of Steuben, according to Deri. That far away, the noise shouldn’t bother people or wildlife, but launching over the ocean could prove tricky if anything goes wrong, so the site of the low-altitude test is still to be determined, Deri said.
The timeline for the rocket tests depends on the success of bluShift’s fundraising and technology, Deri said, but he hopes to do the low-altitude launch before the end of this year. By the middle of 2025, Deri hopes the new rocket will go to space.
