Starscraper
Starscraper was BURPG’s first attempt at a spaceshot vehicle, intended to fly past the Kármán line (100km in altitude) with a liquid bipropellant engine.
Starscraper
Standing at 28 feet tall and weighing in at 1,100 lbm on the pad, Starscraper was BURPG’s first attempt at reaching space. The vehicle was designed to loft a 100 lbm payload to over 100 km in altitude.
Starscraper was originally designed as a hybrid launch vehicle, utilizing BURPG’s Mk.V engine. In its hybrid configuration, the rocket featured chilled nitrous oxide as an oxidizer, a pressure fed feed system, closed loop throttle control, and closed loop liquid injection thrust vector control (LITVC). Unfortunately, the vehicle was damaged during a static fire test in 2015, a major setback to the program.
After extensive trade studies, the team opted to shift away from hybrid rockets. Work began instead on developing the Lotus series of liquid bipropellant engines. A liquid-fueled Starscraper variant was developed, featuring an isopropanol/nitrous oxide engine and a gimbaled thrust vector control system. However, it was ultimately never flown, with the team opting to reduce technical risk through a series of technology demonstrators before attempting a spaceshot.
Thought it never flew, Starscraper was an important step forward for BURPG. The Starscraper program left the team with extensive experience and a wealth of practical knowledge, and was a major influence on the team’s later designs.
A High-Altitude Recovery System
Both the hybrid configuration (left) and liquid configuration (right) feature the high-alittude dual-deployment recovery systems necessary to safely bring back a vehicle of this size from the edge of the atmosphere.
Satellite-grade Telemetry
Both the hybrid configuration (left) and liquid configuration (right) contain two antennas capable of transmitting and recording all of the necessary information. A 1600 MHz GPS/Iridium antenna is used to track the vehicle's location and supplement its IMU with altitude data. A 900 MHz telemetry antenna is used to transmit data back to mission control on the ground.
Pressurization System
In the oxidizer tank of the hybrid configuration (left) and in both the fuel and the oxidizer tank of the liquid configuration (right), high pressure composite overwrapped pressure vessels (COPVs) contain high pressure inert gas to backpress the tanks and maintain thrust throughout flight.
Two Eras of Rocket Engines
The hybrid configuration (left) contains the Mk.V hybrid engine with liquid injection thrust vector control on its nozzle to maintain attitude throughout flight. Later, the liquid configuration (right) was swapped for the fully liquid powered LD2 engine which would use a gimbal TVC system to ensure the rocket is pointing upwards.
Facts & Figures:
| 100 km | 3,200 mph |
|---|---|
| Starscraper was designed to reach the Kármán line, the internationally recognized boundary of space. | During its flight, Starscraper was projected to reach nearly 4.2 times the speed of sound. |
| 100 lbm | 31 ft x 12 in |
| Starscraper wasn't going to space alone. It was designed to bring along up to 100 pounds of payload, and return it safely to the ground. | Starscraper's huge volume was packed with hundreds of pounds of propellant and instrumentation. |
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