Today, the students from Delft Aerospace Rocket Engineering (DARE) showed the Aether rocket to the public for the first time.
3.3m in length and intended to reach Mach 1.7 before the parachute system is deployed at some 6km height, the rocket is not only a technology demonstrator for the stratos III rocket to be launched later this year (that will try to break the student rocket altitude record) but also contains three BiSon64 sunsensors that will be used to calibrate the on-board gyro’s in real-time and thus avoid rotation of the rocket which could hamper proper parachute deployment.
As this rocket is to be launched in May, that means the three mounted sensors will be the first to experience real launch loads. Although it is uncertain if the launch will take the sensors to TRL9 formally, it is at least seen as a next step towards full qualification.
More information on Aether can be found on http://dare.tudelft.nl/project-aether/
We wish the students a very successful launch campaign and congratulate them on this major achievement. Proud to be associated with….. 🙂