The Sounding Rocket-8 (SR-8) of the National Space Organization (NSPO) of National Applied Research Laboratories (NARLabs) was successfully launched at 15:00 on June 5 from the Gio-Pern launch site in south Taiwan. Two science experiments, consist of hydrogen peroxide (HP) monopropellant propulsion and science instrument recovery capsule (RC), were completed in the flight test. Experimental data acquired in the test will be analyzed and used for design validations and continuing improvements of future designs. These experiments represent important progresses in key technology developments for our satellite propulsion subsystem and a payload recovery platform.
Among the self-reliant science payloads onboard SR-8, the HP monopropellant thruster system was developed through a collaborated research effort between NSPO and the National Cheng Kung University and the science instruments RC was design and developed by the National Central University. The SR-8 two-stage rocket was provided by the Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology.
Six seconds after launch, SR-8 completed the burning of the first stage and executed the stage separation. The second stage was ignited at the 12-sec mark and completed its propulsion in 30 seconds. At 58 seconds after launch, the nose fairing separation was completed. From 90 to 165 seconds during the flight, the HP monopropellant thruster propulsion was performed, including a combination of pulsed and continuous modes. The experimental data were transmitted to the ground station via radio communication. These data will be used to validate the present design and provide guidelines for improving future designs. This process is valuable in the development of our satellite propulsion systems.
Following the thruster’s test, the SR-8 rocket continued to climb and reached its maximum altitude of 279 km around 270 seconds. When the rocket descended to around 155 km altitude, which is 448 seconds after launch, the RC separation mechanism was activated to smoothly eject the RC payload. Then, the rocket reentered the atmosphere and began to tumble toward a nose-down flight attitude before plunging into the Pacific Ocean about 165 km north-east from the launch site.
After separation from the rocket, the RC payload gradually turned into a blunt-ba
After the RC payload landed in the ocean, a payload recovery helicopter took off from the ba
For the HP thruster, it is a totally self-reliant green propulsion technology, which will be employed in the domestically built satellite of the FORMOSAT-7 program. Through flight experiments like this, we will complete the development of key technologies in satellite designs, which will not only boost our global competitiveness but also enhance the design efficiency and cost effectiveness of our future satellite programs.
In the near future, NSPO will continue to execute the SR-9 and SR-10 flight experiments for Taiwan's space science and technology
