Development of the ILR-33 “Amber” sounding rocket for microgravity experimentation

Abstract This paper gives an overview of the development of the ILR-33 ”Amber” sounding rocket designated for microgravity experiments, that is under development at Institute of Aviation in Warsaw, Poland. The lack of an easily accessible and affordable platform for this kind of research was one of the key reasons for this work. The proposed design enables performing experiments in microgravity for almost 150 seconds with an apogee over 100 km. Combining these results with a relatively low price per launch and short deployment time gives a possibility to establish a firm position on the dynamic market. This article describes also the rocket structure and the vehicle's capabilities. The proposed design utilizes a hybrid rocket motor with High Test Peroxide as an oxidizer along with two reusable solid rocket boosters. The early phase analysis of the rocket configuration and propellant considerations are also presented in the paper. Furthermore, there have been already several on-ground test performed such as: wind tunnel research and motor firings. The proposed design is considered as an introduction to small launch vehicle technology.