(ORDO NEWS) — British firm Orbex’s Prime rocket represents a major step forward for the country’s space industry and is notable for its use of innovative technologies, including those that make launches “green”.
The British National Space Agency has supported the development of the Prime rocket with £5.5 million in funding as part of a program to encourage the development of small satellite launches from UK spaceports.
After completing the first integration of Orbex’s full-size rocket prototype and placing it on the launch pad, the company is now entering a collaborative testing phase that will include final fuel checks and the development and optimization of launch procedures.
The Orbex Prime rocket is 19 meters high and consists of two stages. The missile is equipped with seven engines manufactured in the United Kingdom and Denmark.
Six first-stage rocket motors will reach an altitude of 80 kilometers above the Earth‘s surface, while a single second-stage motor will make it possible to reach low-Earth orbit, which will host small satellites of commercial operators that are the rocket’s payload.
The developers of the rocket noted that the fuel used has a low carbon dioxide output during combustion, which reduces the environmental burden.
In addition, all parts of the rocket engines are printed on a 3-D printer, fuel tanks are made of lightweight materials and have a special lightweight design.
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