The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
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Space Forest SF-1000 rocket engines.
Based in Poland, SpaceForest is developing a new commercial single-stage European sounding rocket offering almost four minutes of microgravity experimentation time. The 11.5-m tall rocket will be able to launch 50 kg up to 150 km in altitude while also stabilising the payload for high-quality microgravity periods of flight.
Perun's engine SF-1000 runs on modified paraffin, commonly used as candle wax, and so its propellant is non-toxic. The rocket can be launched on a mobile launchpad, allowing for easy deployment at launch facilities around Europe.
The Perun launch service offers commercial and institutional customers access to microgravity to run experiments. The service is geared to provide easy access to payloads right up to an hour before launch, which is useful for last-minute tweaks, preparing biological samples or charging batteries for example.