SKYRORA - UK return to Space - This time it's Private

Michel Van

ACCESS: Above Top Secret
Senior Member
Joined
13 August 2007
Messages
7,069
Reaction score
6,295
SKYRORA is new British/Ukraine Company for Small Satellite launcher
Based in Edinburgh, Scottland.
They continue were Black Arrow was Stop, using rocket power on Kerosine/HTP to launch Small Satellite.

For moment they have 3 models

Skyrora Nano II a small sounding rocket with 10kg Payload
SK-1 suborbital launch vehicle with 90 kg payload
XL three stage orbital launch vehicle (similar payload as Rocketlab "Electron" ?)

Launch site is consider:
Spaceport UK for polar launch and in future a equatorial launch site
also study Australia north or south coast


Skyrora XL

test of the upper stage Skyrora XL 3D printed engine in Spaceport Cornwall

Interview with Skyrora Lead Engineer Robin Hague
 
I loved this. See the UK comic strip Jeff Hawke by Sydney Jordan, also serialised in French.
 

From Skyrora
The UKs first complete ground rocket test in 50 years takes place in Scotland:


Skylark-L’s static fire testing:


An amazing find Flyaway. About time the UK had its own rocket launching facility instead of relying on the services of others, it is something that the BIS have been very active in promoting as well as the UK having its on Astronauts. After the last effort with the Black Knight rocket lets hope that the Skylark-L succeeds this time.
 
Skyrora must be congratulated on bringing back the first stage of Black Arrow R3 from the outback of Australia. It was on display at FAST at Farnborough just before the lockdown, and it was my privilege to go along and take a look at it.
 
This was covered in some newspapers but no broadcasters in the U.K. that I could see.

Does anyone know if there was any TV coverage?
 
14.07.2020 by Skyrora Team
SKYRORA OPENS ROCKET ENGINE TEST COMPLEX EXPECTED TO CREATE OVER 170 JOBS

Skyrora has established an engine test complex in Scotland, where it already has successfully tested its 3.5kN engine and three-tonne engine for its sub-orbital and orbital rockets. Skyrora expects the newly established Engine Test Complex to help the company create over 170 new jobs in the area by 2030.

Skyrora’s engine test complex layout is fairly minimal, mainly consisting of a fuel and oxidiser loading system to put fuel into both tanks and a pressure supply system to feed the fuel to the engine in the test stand. Skyrora also built the actual test stand, the road to access the test site and the concrete slab for the test site to sit on. It took the team only a few weeks to build it, at a fraction of the estimated time and cost while making sure all measures followed health and safety guidelines.

Skyrora’s vision is to test all three engines used on its rocket suite in the one location: the seven-tonne engine for the first and second stage of the orbital Skyrora XL launch vehicle, the 3.5Kn engine for the third stage, and the three-tonne engine for the sub-orbital Skylark L launch vehicle.

The test site is estimated to help Skyrora create over 170 mainly technical jobs in manufacturing and operations ranging from mechanical engineering to electronics for avionics systems.

Volodymyr Levykin, chief executive officer of Skyrora, said: “The opening of our engine test complex represents a giant leap forward for the UK’s ambitions as a space nation and Scotland’s status as a space hub. The location and additional jobs will benefit the UK space industry and help the overall economy grow. It will also allow Skyrora’s highly skilled workforce and a young generation of engineers and technicians to be a part of this space revolution. Skyrora has developed and come so far as a team and a company, and I am really proud to see how many milestones we have achieved in a short period of time.”

In January 2020, Skyrora announced it had completed up to 25 tests on their 3.5kN upper stage orbital engine testing their Ecosene fuel, an equivalent kerosene derived from unrecyclable plastics. And right before the UK lockdown measures were implemented, the complex saw the three-tonne engine through several tests. The engine produces 30kN’s of thrust, meaning that it is one order of magnitude greater than the 3.5kN third stage.

Skyrora’s main objective of testing engines is to validate the performance of the engine. Variables such as pressure, thrust, flow of fuel and flow of oxidizer were stress-tested and assessed as part of the process.

The three-tonne engine, integrated onto Skylark-L, also underwent a successful full vertical static fire test in May 2020. The 11-metre rocket could be ready to launch from as early as spring 2021 and can reach an altitude of 100km; the test results showed it would have crossed the Karman line.

Following the 3.5kN and three-tonne engine tests, Skyrora is now looking at expanding the test site to allow the rocket company to test their seven-tonne engine, used for the first and second stage of the low Earth orbit (LEO) vehicle, the Skyrora XL.

Dr Jack-James Marlow, Engineering Manager at Skyrora, who oversaw the testing, said: “Our engine test complex is a fantastic opportunity for Skyrora and the UK Space industry. Scotland is heading towards an unprecedented growth in UK space and our complex is one step closer to achieving this. We are planning to test all our engines, which are fully 3D printed and operate on high-test peroxide (HTP, a highly concentrated solution of hydrogen peroxide), at the site. Our recent successful testing of the three-tonne engine is nearly ten times greater in thrust than our last series of engine tests on our LEO engine. We pushed the engine to its limits to find its operational envelope and critical parameters. The engine performed as expected and has enabled us to begin small volume production of the engine”.

Looking to the future, both Skylark L and its 22-metre sibling Skyrora XL will utilise Ecosene – the fuel comprised of waste plastics developed by Skyrora. Technological advances mean Ecosene will be able to produce 600kg of usable kerosene from 1000kg of waste plastics in the space of 24 hours.

Using proven technology from the likes of Black Arrow, Skyrora will use hydrogen peroxide as a fuel oxidiser. This removes the need and cost for cryogenic freezing due to Scotland’s unpredictable weather, which it would prove debilitating in the event of a late cancellation.

The launch vehicle manufacturing company aims to complete the inaugural launch of Skyrora XL from a UK spaceport by 2023.

 
That exhaust flame looks exceedingly kerosene rich.

If you look at all the rocket tests of HTP motors in the 60s, the flame is almost transparent. I think the ratio of HTP to kerosene was something like 8:1. You would not have got an exhaust like that from that mixture.
 
Guys, what about Skyprint, Skyrora's additive machine? I thought developing eco-fuel was their greatest achievement, but I was wrong. I heard about the use of 3d printing in the aerospace industry, but I didn't think it was serious. Well, it was my second mistake. This additive machine is completely different from other 3d printers because it lets printing parts and elements of a spacecraft from different materials. Skyprint is used to print coating, engine elements, and other body parts.
I`ve read about this machine and was staggered. The pvc rocket fuel is a great achievement for this company and for the whole space exploration area too. The idea of this fuel is superb, as scientists who invented it claim that it`s completely eco friendly. Moreover, the new type of rocket fuel ( made of plastic )is 1% - 3% better than kerosene by its energy characteristics
 
I like the consept of the hybrid rocket this comapny manufactures. It`s called SkyHy and it`s called hybrid because it uses ( as I have already mentioned ) solid Hydroxyl Terminated Polybutadiene (HTPB) fuel and 90% Hydrogen Peroxide (H202) liquid oxidiser.
 
I was sort of surprised when I found out that Skyrora's CEO, Volodymyr Levykin, is Ukrainian. I thought Skyrora was founded by any British entrepreneur, but not the Ukrainian. It makes me feel proud of this country even more. Btw, I've read an interview with Volodymyr, and he seemed very intelligent to me. He knows what he does and confidently moves to his goal. Judging by the recent Skyrora achievements, Volodymyr Levykin chose the right path.
Yeah, I was pleasantly suprised too. I would have never thought that it has any relation to Ukraine. But as we can see it has, and surprisingly this company manufactures pretty good space technology like rockets and microsatellites.
 
I was sort of surprised when I found out that Skyrora's CEO, Volodymyr Levykin, is Ukrainian. I thought Skyrora was founded by any British entrepreneur, but not the Ukrainian. It makes me feel proud of this country even more. Btw, I've read an interview with Volodymyr, and he seemed very intelligent to me. He knows what he does and confidently moves to his goal. Judging by the recent Skyrora achievements, Volodymyr Levykin chose the right path.

That was news to me as well JacopCooper, I always had thought that Skyrora was British. You learn something every day.
 
Skyrora is a British company, registered in Edinburgh.
From wiki:
The company employs 27 staff at its Edinburgh headquarters along with over 100 staff in Ukraine, and also had office in Slovakia.
 
Last edited:
Skyrora is a British company, registered in Edinburgh.
From wiki:
The company employs 27 staff at its Edinburgh headquarters along with over 100 staff in Ukraine, and also had office in Slovakia.
I guess that these countries and their specialists are taking part in the development of this space company and in the development of space projects this company makes. Nevertheless, as far as Jacop Cooper mentioned, the CEO of this company is Volodymyr Levykin and he is from Ukraine.
 
A SCOTLAND-based rocket company has signed a deal with a Shetland spaceport that could see the first journeys to space from the UK by next year.

Skyrora, which has its headquarters in Edinburgh, has agreed a multi-launch deal over the next decade for the site on Unst, the most northerly of the Shetland Islands.

The company hopes to send its 23-metre long, 56-tonne XL rocket to deliver satellites into orbit from 2022.

The multi-launch agreement with SaxaVord will run for the next decade, giving Skyrora the ability to build towards a target of 16 launches a year by 2030.

Once operational, the SaxaVord Spaceport is expected to create 140 jobs locally, with an additional 70 jobs across Shetland.

 
A SCOTLAND-based rocket company has signed a deal with a Shetland spaceport that could see the first journeys to space from the UK by next year.

Skyrora, which has its headquarters in Edinburgh, has agreed a multi-launch deal over the next decade for the site on Unst, the most northerly of the Shetland Islands.

The company hopes to send its 23-metre long, 56-tonne XL rocket to deliver satellites into orbit from 2022.

The multi-launch agreement with SaxaVord will run for the next decade, giving Skyrora the ability to build towards a target of 16 launches a year by 2030.

Once operational, the SaxaVord Spaceport is expected to create 140 jobs locally, with an additional 70 jobs across Shetland.


I like the sound of that Flyaway, I will be watching the developments of this with interest. I personally cannot wait until the first rocket gets launched next year.
 
UK space race heats up as Skyrora sets sights on 2022 launch
12 Oct 2021

The UK space race has heated up today (12 October) after rocket company Skyrora agreed a decade-long deal for multiple launches from the Shetland Island of Unst – including one next year.
The announcement sets up a race between the Edinburgh-headquartered firm and Orbex, another Scottish rocket company aiming for its first launch next year. Whichever project wins will be the first to launch a rocket from UK soil.
“We have made no secret of our ambition to be the first company to launch from UK soil, so it's really exciting to agree to this multi-launch deal with [spaceport] SaxaVord,” said Skyrora founder and CEO Volodymyr Levykin.
“We are proud to be at the forefront of space innovation in the UK, deploying our assets and helping to unlock exciting opportunities as part of the new space economy. The UK is a world leader in space technology, and this latest move brings us another crucial step closer to offering a significant space service from our own soil.”
The XL rocket launch programme from Unst, the most northerly of the Shetland Islands, will gradually speed up throughout the decade. By 2030, Skyrora aims to launch 16 rockets a year.
Speaking to Professional Engineering earlier this year, Orbex CEO Chris Larmour said the firm already had six launch contracts, with the first planned for late 2022. Launches of the Prime ‘micro-launcher’ from Sutherland spaceport in the Highlands will ramp up “gradually”, he said – one or two in the first couple of years, reaching full ‘cadence’ by 2024 or 2025.
The two companies are taking some non-conventional approaches to space flight. Orbex will 3D print its engines, for example, while Skyrora hopes its versatile upper stage will enable multi-purpose launches.
According to a study by Scottish Enterprise last year, income from Scotland's space sector could reach over £2bn by 2030. Data solutions to help combat climate change could double that. The SaxaVord spaceport is expected to create 140 jobs locally, with an additional 70 jobs across Shetland, while Skyrora aims to create over 170 jobs by 2030.
Skyrora has been testing increasingly large rockets with short high-altitude launches since 2018. Last year, it conducted the first rocket test on UK soil in 50 years, as well as launching its Skylark Micro from Iceland.
The three-stage Skyrora XL rocket stands over 22m, and can carry up to 315kg to orbit. Last year, the firm completed trials of its third stage, including its orbital transfer vehicle (OTV). Once in orbit, the OTV will be able to refire its engines about 15 times to complete extra tasks – acting as a ‘space tug’, carrying out maintenance, or de-orbiting defunct satellites.
For the proposed 2022 launch, Skyrora plans to fuel the XL with sustainable rocket fuel alternative Ecosene. Made from waste plastic such as polystyrene, the fuel could prevent more than 3,000 tonnes of unrecyclable plastic going to landfill by 2030, just through use on Skyrora flights.
 
'Skyrora plans to fuel the XL with sustainable rocket fuel alternative Ecosene. Made from waste plastic such as polystyrene'

Interesting, i wonder what the burn products of the exhaust will be (in the UK. burning 'plastics' is considered a no-no in waste disposal !)
 
'Skyrora plans to fuel the XL with sustainable rocket fuel alternative Ecosene. Made from waste plastic such as polystyrene'

Interesting, i wonder what the burn products of the exhaust will be (in the UK. burning 'plastics' is considered a no-no in waste disposal !)

Just found this official website on Ecosene while searching on Google TsrJoe.

https://www.ecosene.com
 
First stage engine testing @Skyrora!

View: https://twitter.com/Skyrora_Ltd/status/1528712100553826304

Related press release:

 
First stage engine testing @Skyrora!

View: https://twitter.com/Skyrora_Ltd/status/1528712100553826304

Related press release:


Nice one Skyrora, I cannot wait to see the first rocket launched from Sutherland Scotland, when it is ready.
 
That's a fairly long moment arm b/w the gas outlet and the supporting structure! Isn't that a bit scary?!
 
Skyrora completes second stage test. The United Kingdom-based launch company announced Thursday the completion of a static fire test of the second stage of its Skyrora XL orbital rocket. Completing the test brings Skyrora closer to entering commercial operations, with the rocket's inaugural orbital launch scheduled for 2023 from the Saxa Vord Space Centre in northern Scotland. The 20-second test burn of a single 70 kN liquid engine operated within design margins and achieved the expected thrust, the company said.

Quick setup ... The three-stage XL launch vehicle is a small rocket, with a lift capacity of about 300 kg to low-Earth orbit, and is of modular design so that it can be easily transported to the launch site. Skyrora previously tested the third stage of its XL launch vehicle in December 2020. The first stage of Skyrora XL is currently in construction, with hot-fire tests due to take place in mid-2023. "Our Skyrora team went from clean tarmac to a full static fire test in just 2.5 days," said the company's chief operating officer, Lee Rosen. (submitted by Ken the Bin)
 
Skyrora completes second stage test. The United Kingdom-based launch company announced Thursday the completion of a static fire test of the second stage of its Skyrora XL orbital rocket. Completing the test brings Skyrora closer to entering commercial operations, with the rocket's inaugural orbital launch scheduled for 2023 from the Saxa Vord Space Centre in northern Scotland. The 20-second test burn of a single 70 kN liquid engine operated within design margins and achieved the expected thrust, the company said.

Quick setup ... The three-stage XL launch vehicle is a small rocket, with a lift capacity of about 300 kg to low-Earth orbit, and is of modular design so that it can be easily transported to the launch site. Skyrora previously tested the third stage of its XL launch vehicle in December 2020. The first stage of Skyrora XL is currently in construction, with hot-fire tests due to take place in mid-2023. "Our Skyrora team went from clean tarmac to a full static fire test in just 2.5 days," said the company's chief operating officer, Lee Rosen. (submitted by Ken the Bin)

Excellent news for Skyrora, looking forward to seeing the hot-fire tests take place.
 
View: https://youtu.be/0R6Ik_SiBg8


There's no launch footage here, all the actual info is in the video description.
On 8th October, 2022, the Skyrora team attempted to launch our suborbital Skylark L vehicle into space from the Langanes Peninsula in Iceland.

The vehicle left the launch pad and experienced an anomaly, landing in the Norwegian Sea approximately 500 metres away from the launch site. No people or wildlife were harmed in any way, and recovery of the vehicle is currently ongoing. Multiple tracking systems, as well as boats and aeroplanes, have been employed to optimise the recovery process.

Despite this anomaly, we achieved our primary mission objective to test all systems of Skylark L ahead of an orbital launch of our Skyrora XL vehicle. Skyrora is incredibly grateful to the Icelandic authorities for their support in ensuring safe and responsible launch operations.

We are also beyond proud of our hardworking team, who overcame severe weather conditions and long nights to gain valuable experience in operations procedures, logistics coordination, and execution of the rapid setup and pack-down of our mobile launch complex.

This monumental learning experience will help propel us forward in our mission to reach orbit from the UK in 2023, and we will continue to build further momentum through future milestones.
 

Similar threads

Back
Top Bottom