Starchaser Astra-X is a 9 metre tall, 1.25 metre diameter fully reusable rocket weighing around 800kg. Construction is mainly of carbon fibre, other composites, aluminium, and mild steel. Parachutes will be fitted, and the rocket will be recovered intact. For the first flight the rocket will be powered using a cluster of solid propellant motors with a combined total impulse of 221 kN.
In many respects the test will be a re-run of our Nova 1 launch which was carried out in 2001. Starchaser Astra-X will have exactly the same configuration of rocket motors. The fin canister and lower portion of the airframe have the same dimensions, and both rockets have a similar overall mass. Starchaser Astra-X will follow a similar flight profile and reach a similar altitude to Nova 1.
Total duration of flight will be 7 minutes, maximum altitude will not exceed 7098 feet, with a downrange distance of 1.75km (1 mile).
The purpose of this first flight is to gather baseline data in preparation for a second flight which will test a capsule Launch Escape System. The main payload is therefore the Astra-X capsule which has been used in previous manned parachute drop tests. This first launch of Starchaser Astra-X will be un-manned.