Jan 24, 2011 14:55 GMT  ·  By
Armadillo experts are working on developing a new, sounding rocket-like space vehicle
   Armadillo experts are working on developing a new, sounding rocket-like space vehicle

Experts at private company Armadillo Aerospace are currently seeking to develop the necessary experience to put a vehicle in low-Earth orbit, and they are going about fulfilling that object by creating a tube rocket as a test platform.

From the outside, the vehicle looks like a sounding rocket, but Armadillo says that it will have the capacity to reach orbit. Given that the company plans to put people in orbit, the success of the new testbed will be essential for future developments.

The new vehicle is build on the Mod platform that the team used during the Wirefly X-Prize Cup of 2007. But the original, 36-inch spherical fuel tanks have now been replaced with 15 inch cylindrical tanks, to fit the rocket's slim design.

The instrument uses a low-pressure LOX/alcohol mix as propellant, helium as pressurization agent, and has about the same time of engine as Mod. It also features the same computer box and plumbing.

But where the new rocket differs is in goal. Whereas the other vehicles Armadillo develops are aimed at demonstrating that they could fly on the Moon, or other such applications, this one is meant to ensure that the company can achieve proper insulation in space.

In addition, officials also want to ensure that the electronics the company is using are capable functioning within parameters once the rocket makes it way into LEO. For the first time, Armadillo will have access to both high acceleration capabilities and a fully-fledged microgravity environment.

One other positive aspect of the new mission will be the testing of long range communications, which the corporation never had the chance to do. Radio signals traveling between spacecraft and the surface need to pass through a variety of atmospheric layers, that cause interferences.

An advantage this particular rocket has over others built at the company is that it will feature two parachutes, which will allow ground crews to retrieve it after it descends back to Earth.

As a plus, this also means that it could carry scientific experiments, that could be recovered as well. This capability is bound to attract scientists and even government agencies, representatives at the company say, quoted by Space Fellowship.

The first rocket of the new class is scheduled to take off early this year from Spaceport America, in California. The company is building two test rockets, given that the first is very likely to fail. A large number of new technologies are put together on it, and so Armadillo experts planned ahead.