You Have Heard of Biofuel Cars, But Have You Heard of Biofuel Rockets?

In today's day and age, global warming is a big issue. That is why there is a switch to other energy and fuel sources. One of those sources is biofuel. Biofuel is a fuel that is created from forms of biomass. Biofuel is considered to be a renewable energy source, making it much better than the fossil fuels that we burn. Some cars and buses have already started to use biofuel to power them, but now rockets may soon be using them too.

bluShift Aerospace's Logo

Rocket startup bluShift Aerospace based in Maine is the first rocket that will use biofuel, which is very important. Lots of research shows that the burning of fuels at high altitudes causes a lot of damage to the ozone layer. Up until this point, every rocket motor generates some form of ozone damage. Some even remove up to 10,000 ozone molecules, which causes a lot of damage to the ozone layer. Luckily, bluShift Aerospace has come up with the solution of using a biofuel rocket motor. 

BluShift Aerospace was founded in 2014 to make travel to low orbit less damaging to the ozone layer. The way bluShift Aerospace is hoping to create a bio-derived fuel to make rocket launches cheaper. They also want to reduce the impact of their rocket motors. The small team of 7 has optimized the fuel, developed multiple prototypes and is now prepared to launch rockets. 

Stardust Rocket Ready for Launch on 
January 15, 2021, Atop its Launch Rail

Their first test launch was supposed to be on January 15, 2021. However, due to certain weather conditions, the launch was scrubbed. During the launch, bluShift Aerospace's biofuel-powered rocket named Stardust would carry three payloads to an altitude of 4000 ft (1220 m) and then would parachute back to Earth. The launch is predicted to last a minute and a half. This launch is the first step of bluShift Aerospace's multi-year plan to launch small satellites into Earth's orbit.

BluShift Aerospace has reworked its motor to make it better for the environment and made it capable of running on biofuels. BluShift Aerospace's rocket motor is a hybrid rocket motor named MARVEL (Modular Adaptable Rocket Engine for Vehicle Launch). The motor uses both solid and liquid propellant, using a proprietary biofuel that is non-toxic, carbon-neutral, and cheap.

Flight Plan for Scrubbed Launch of
Stardust Generation 1 on 
January 15, 2021

During the planned launch on January 15, 2021, bluShift Aerospace was using Stardust Generation 1. This vehicle was designed and will be used for experimentation and data collection. BluShift Aerospace will develop three more rockets: Stardust Generation 2, Starless Rogue, and Red Dwarf. Stardust Generation 2 will be an upgraded version of Stardust Generation 1. It will be used for experiments that require higher altitudes and velocities. Starless Rogue will be able to reach suborbital space. Starless Rogue is designed with fragile payloads in mind with slow launch acceleration and less than 5gs of force being felt. Additionally, Starless Rogue will go hypersonic, reaching speeds of Mach 6 and Mach 7. Finally, there is Red Dwarf, which will be able to reach low-Earth orbit and will be able to launch small satellites into orbit. Red Dwarf will be able to fly fragile payloads with a max weight of 30kgs.

BluShift Aerospace has one of the most exciting solutions to a problem that isn't very well known. When you think about rocket launches, you think about how they will help us learn in the future. However, at the same time, they are damaging the ozone layer, contributing to global warming. With bluShift Aerospace coming into the picture, the future of rocketry and space exploration may forever be changed. 

Renders of Rockets that bluShift Aerospace Will Develop

Sources:

“Biofuel.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 11 Jan. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biofuel. 

BluShift Aerospace, Aerospace, Inc., 15 Jan. 2021, www.blushiftaerospace.com/. 

Malik, Tariq. “Space Startup BluShift to Launch Its 1st Biofuel Rocket Friday. Here's How to Watch Live.” Space.com, Space, 14 Jan. 2021, www.space.com/blushift-stardust-rocket-first-launch-webcast.