On March 2023, 3 (Saturday), Tokai University's student rocket project conducted a successful launch experiment of a hybrid rocket at the commercial spaceport "Hokkaido Spaceport (HOSPO)" in Taiki-cho, Hokkaido.
The Tokai University Student Rocket Project was launched in 1995 with the aim of providing practical knowledge and skills to students who want to become space engineers.Taiki Town has conducted an experiment once a year since 2004, but due to the impact of the new coronavirus infection, it has been implemented for the first time in five years.
In this launch experiment, the students gained experience in launching a rocket, and also clarified the development policy for the next aircraft and beyond, aiming to reach the ultimate goal of reaching an altitude of 100 km or more, and conducted analysis after the launch and recovery of the rocket. The purpose is to conduct technical demonstrations that will lead to supersonic aircraft in a few years.The "Hybrid Rocket No. 57" launched this time has a total length of 2.045m.The fuselage has a module structure mainly made of commercially available GFRP (glass fiber reinforced plastic) tubes, and six modules are connected with aluminum alloy rings.Reflecting on the previous launch, the aircraft was improved to be stronger, and the launch was successful.The aircraft burned the engine as planned and reached an altitude of 6m in 9.32 seconds after launch.After that, the parachute was opened and it fell to a point 416.45m north-northeast from the launch point, and the aircraft was recovered.
Hokkaido Spaceport, where the experiment was conducted, is developed and operated by Taiki-cho as Asia's first commercial spaceport opened to a private company. Many experiments have been conducted. In FY1,000, Interstellar Technologies Inc., Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), SKyDrive Inc., University of Electro-Communications, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., Muroran Institute of Technology, etc. will launch rockets, balloons, flying cars, drones, etc. 2021 experiments were performed.
"Hokkaido Spaceport" will continue to improve the experimental environment, such as the development of a new rocket launch site Launch Complex-1 (LC-1) (scheduled for completion in 2023) and a 300m extension of the runway (scheduled for completion in 2024). We will actively accept universities, private companies, and organizations and contribute to research and development in the aerospace field and industrial development as a mecca for aerospace experiments.
Reference: [Hokkaido Spaceport] Successful rocket launch experiment by Tokai University students
