Shulou(Shulou.com)11/24 Report--

SpaceX, an American rocket company, is offering a satellite ride-sharing launch service through its Falcon rocket, but customers usually have to wait about two years, which is obviously not suitable for customers whose time is more important than money. To this end, British rocket launch startup Skyrora hopes to provide specialized on-demand launch services to meet the needs of such customers.

The launch vehicle of Skyrora, which is based in Scotland, carries nine engines, has a thrust of about seven tons and requires 50,000 litres of fuel for each launch. The payload launched by Skyrora is mainly satellite, not passenger. "satellites used to be mainly used to ensure the security of government data," said Volodymyr Levykin, founder and chief executive of the company. "now private companies are trying to have the same capabilities for higher-level communications and observation."

If the previous space race was about competing countries for technological advantage, the next race will be for profits between competing companies. "Elon Musk started the private space race by starting SpaceX. He has proved that private companies can launch rockets independently," says Mr Levykin. "this has aroused global interest and even Silicon Valley has realised that space will be the new frontier of technology."

Space startups are now springing up around the world. Mr Levitkin believes start-ups in China, India and Europe are catching up, mostly in the US. The government's interest in space has also been rekindled: Britain aims to increase its share of the global space market to 10 per cent by 2030, when the industry is estimated to be worth about $483 billion.

That's why Levitkin started Skyrora in 2017. Scotland is the ideal European space launch base, he said, providing a clear launch path to the North Pole, which is essential for the launch of sun-synchronous satellites. In addition, it is close enough to Britain's spaceport: five of the seven planned spaceports will be north of Hadrian's Great Wall. Skyrora designs and builds rockets at its plant in Cambernold, Lanarkshire, and deploys it in a test blast zone on the outskirts of Edinburgh.

Skyrora's flagship rocket, called Skyrora XL, which can carry 315kg of payload, is scheduled to be launched from the Shetland Islands in 2023 and is awaiting approval. Mr. Levitkin said his clients are likely to be intermediary satellite companies that sell data to companies. "there is a lot of data that can be collected from space, such as data generated by optical and temperature sensors, which can be used in agriculture, traffic management systems and insurance companies," he added. we're just arranging launchers. "

SpaceX offers a similar service, and its satellite ride-sharing launch program gives companies the opportunity to travel to space on a Falcon 9 rocket at a cost of $275000 per launch. 'The key difference between Skyrora and SpaceX is that they provide specialized launch services, 'Mr. Levitkin said. "SpaceX is more like a bus service, you can only use it with other passengers and need to coordinate the space and time you can use," he said. "We are like a taxi service, which can be launched whenever the customer wants, and the schedule is more flexible. Even if there is a delay in the customer's plan, we will continue to wait patiently."

Levikin also said that launch vehicles on SpaceX usually take two years to launch, so the company has plenty of time to prepare launch agreements and fill out documents, while Skyrora wants to reduce the time between contacting them and launching customers to six months. As a result, Mr Levitkin expects to charge three times as much as SpaceX. "We are facing problems for customers who do not want to share payload space with others, and it applies to customers whose time is more important than money," he said. "

This so-called "space taxi service" is operated on the basis of regular rocket launches. Sending payloads out of Earth's atmosphere on a regular basis is always a technical and physical feat, says Euan Clark, head of the Skyrora project team. "A lot of things need to be integrated," he said. software and hardware across multiple rocket poles need to be able to communicate with each other and with us on the ground. once a successful launch is completed, things will be much easier, but 10 successful launches in a row does not mean that there will be no other accidents. "

The first stage of the Skyrora XL, which is still under development, is the main body of the 22.7m rocket, which is used to launch the carrier rocket into the air. Its second stage has now been tested and can carry a payload into space. Unlike most other launch vehicles, the Skyrora XL also has a third stage, which means that the position of the payload can be fine-tuned at an altitude of 1000 kilometers. "all stages are guided by engines, and avionics know where the satellite needs to be deployed in space," Clark explained. The fuel is a mixture of kerosene and high concentrations of hydrogen peroxide, which means that the third stage can be reignited without a spark. "

Both the first and second stages of the Skyrora XL can be reused and can be returned to Earth by parachute. Skyrora's fuel requires less energy than SpaceX's cryogenic engines, which means it increases mobility, reduces maintenance costs, and can be launched in harsher weather conditions.

In October 2022, Skyrora's suborbital rocket Skylark L, approximately 11 metres long, attempted to launch from a mobile launch pad in Iceland, but was forced to land 500m away in the Norwegian Sea due to software problems (non-mechanical problems). "our launch plan is very flexible," Levikin said. "We have a global launch platform and technology that can be used even in bad weather conditions."

Skyrora is also developing ECosene, a proprietary technology for converting non-recyclable plastic waste into advanced aviation fuel. At the same time, the company's 3D printing technology allows it to make almost all rocket components in-house. "Satellite maintenance can be done through Skyrora XL's special third level," Clark said. "if there is a satellite failure in a satellite network, we can go up and repair or replace it."

According to the Union of concerned scientists Satellite Database, by May 2022, a total of 5465 satellites will be orbiting the Earth. Skyrora's goal is to expand this number. Levikin says there is plenty of space in outer space. "unlike most ships on water, orbiting satellites do not have to operate on the same floor," he said. therefore, it can accommodate even a tenfold increase in the number of satellites. "

Levikin predicts that manufacturers and governments are likely to step up intervention as the number and importance of satellites increases. Manufacturers may introduce collision avoidance systems to limit damage and space debris, while governments may establish space boundaries similar to ocean boundaries as the new space race unfolds.

Levikin hopes that Skyrora will be the first to enter Britain's booming space industry. "We believe that the new space represents the next era in the field of technology," he said. the eyes (satellites) in the sky represent the future and are as important as new connections, data and ideas. Space is influenced by geopolitics and countries need to have their own launch tools and capabilities. "

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