Skybolt 2 is an 8.3 metre tall, 758mm diameter, re-usable rocket with a dry weight of 250kg. Construction is mainly of carbon fibre, other composites, and aerospace grade aluminium. The primary purpose of the first launch, which was sponsored by the University of Chester, was to test an array of electronic instruments as well as an experimental parachute recovery system. In addition, the launch would validate Starchaser’s transporter launcher truck and serve as a training exercise for the Starchaser team. The rocket carried commercial and other experimental payloads and was used to engage young people. The rocket was equipped with three parachutes; a regular hemispherical parachute for the recovery of the nose cone and two further parachutes for the recovery of the airframe which was designed to separate into two parts for the return journey to earth. Skybolt 2 had been specifically chosen for this test as its rugged construction made it the perfect candidate to test the parachutes, which were of an experimental toroidal design; it was deemed that the rocket would survive the flight even if the parachutes didn’t.
Otterburn Training Area in Northumberland was selected for the launch as it offered a large area for the safe recovery of the rocket. An altitude limit of 5000 feet was agreed with the range staff so as to keep the rocket safely within the confines of the danger area. To this end, Skybolt 2 was fitted with commercially available solid rocket motors having a total impulse of 51.2 KN, to aim for an altitude of around 4000 feet. This would be suitable for testing airframe separation, parachutes, and other systems. Launch day was scheduled for Monday 11 th September 2017. Weather conditions on the day were not as favourable as had been forecast. Early morning showers were slow to clear and blustery winds of up to 20 mph delayed launch by an hour. However, just before noon the launch buttons were pressed and Skybolt 2 roared off its mobile launch pad and into the cold Northumberland sky. The rocket took just 12 seconds to reach peak altitude before separating into its three component parts. The traditional hemispherical parachute canopy worked flawlessly and brought the nose cone safely to earth. The experimental parachutes however did not perform so well, and the airframe landed hard. Despite the hard landing the main airframe, experiments and other components were recovered intact. The fin section however suffered damage during retrieval, as it had to be dragged by 4 x 4 through a rough, barely accessible area. Back at Starchaser HQ the rocket was reunited with its transporter truck and has since visited hundreds of schools as part of Starchaser’s Educational Outreach programme. We learned a lot from the launch which we have applied to our current rocket, Starchaser Astra – X, which will be the first launch in our Nova 2 programme.
More about Skybolt 2 We understand that at the time of launch, Skybolt 2 was the UK’s biggest operational research rocket but it was not the biggest rocket ever flown from the UK; that record is still held by Starchaser’s Nova 1, which was launched 22 nd November 2001 from Morecambe Bay. Skybolt 2 was originally built to accommodate Starchaser’s 7.5 tonne thrust liquid propellant STORM rocket engine. STORM could not be used for this first low altitude shot at Otterburn however as it would have been too powerful; the rocket would have been propelled significantly beyond the perimeter of the range.
We may decide to re-launch Skybolt 2 in the future, but this would likely come after the successful completion of our Nova 2 programme.