Kuwait Space Rocket (KSR)
TypeResearch group
IndustryAerospace
FoundedJanuary 2018
FounderNaser Ashknani
Key people
Sulieman Alfuhaid, Fahad Al-Fahad
Members3
Websitewww.kuwaitspacerocket.com

The Kuwait Space Rocket (KSR), is a Kuwaiti project to build and launch the first suborbital liquid bi-propellant rocket in Arabia.[1] The project is intended to be the first step towards starting a space industry in the country and a launch service provider in the GCC region. The project is divided into two phases with two separate vehicles. An initial testing phase with KSR-1 as a test vehicle capable of reaching an altitude of 8 km (5.0 mi) and a more expansive suborbital test phase with the KSR-2 planned to fly to an altitude of 100 km (62 mi).[2] in May 16 Ambition-1 launched but had a malfunction with the parachute and crashed in free fall.

History

The project began in January 2018 for conceptual design and planning. The team started the fabrication of KSR-1 in early 2019, and as of January 2020, KSR-1 was fully built.[3]

KSR-1

KSR-1 is a vertically-launched single stage rocket. It uses a liquid bi-propellant rocket engine burning methanol as fuel and nitrous oxide as the oxidizer. KSR-1 is intended to be a test vehicle for the development of KSR-2, the goal of which is to reach space. As such, all the major components and technologies that are expected to be used in KSR-2 are present in KSR-1. The main components of KSR 1 are the engine—consisting of the injector, nozzle, and cooling jacket— with fuel and oxidizer tanks, a nitrogen gas tank, and various valves and pressure regulators.[4]

KSR-1 Vehicle Dimensions
KSR-1 Vehicle mass properties
Section Mass (kg)
Dry mass 12
Nitrous oxide mass 3.2
Methanol mass 0.8
Total propellant mass 4
Total vehicle mass 16
KSR-1 Properties
Property Value
Chamber pressure 3100 kPa
Exit pressure 94 kPa
Momentum thrust 520.1 N
Nozzle exit velocity 2213 m/s
Burn rate 16.8 s
Oxidizer mass flow rate 0.19 kg/s
Fuel mass flow rate 0.047 kg/s

KSR-1 Development Process

Engine Fabrication

The KSR-1 engine was built locally in Kuwait and it utilizes a pressure fed cycle. The engine utilizes the nitrous not only as an oxidizer but as a cooling agent, that flows around the nozzle and back into the injector again.[5]

From left to right: Methanol inlet (Injector), Injector to Nozzle Connector, Copper Nozzle, Nitrous inlets (Injector), Nitrous pipe connector, Nitrous return elbow
Assembled KSR-1 Injector

Cold Flow Testing

The KSR team performed a cold flow testing in October 2019 to verify the engine's flow rate and plumbing.

Cold Flow Test

Static Testing

KSR performed a static testing of the Injector in November 2019.

Injector Static Test

Structural Assembly

The KSR-1 was fully assembled and presented at the Kuwait Aviation Show 2020.[6]

KSR-1 Rocket

KSR-2

KSR-2 is a planned liquid bi-propellant suborbital launch vehicle. It is the second installment of the KSR Rocket Family, composed of a single stage, fueled by nitrous oxide and methanol. KSR-2 will have a total length of 4 m, a diameter of 0.4 m and a total mass of 591 kg, its apogee will be around 100 km.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Kuwaiti youth eager to put country on space exploration map". Kuwait News Agency (KUNA). 2018-09-24. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  2. ↑ "ناصر أشكناني لـ"السياسة": صاروخ فضائي كويتي يضعنا في الدول المتقدمة" [Nasser Ashkanani to Al-Seyassah: A Kuwaiti space missile puts us in the developed countries]. Al Seyassah (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 2020-02-12. Retrieved 2020-02-14.
  3. ↑ "بالفيديو الكويت تطلق أول صاروخ فضائي محلي الصنع بعد عامين" [In the video, Kuwait launches its first homemade space rocket after two years]. Al-Anba (in Arabic). 2020-01-19. Retrieved 2020-02-14.
  4. ↑ "Kuwait Rocket". Kuwait Rocket. Retrieved 2020-02-14.
  5. ↑ Al-Hafez, Ahmed (28 December 2019). "شباب كويتيون يستعدون لإطلاق أول صاروخ فضائي" [Kuwaiti youth prepare to launch the first space rocket]. Al Qabas (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 2020-02-15. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  6. ↑ "News – Kuwait Aviation Show 2020". Archived from the original on 2020-02-15. Retrieved 2020-02-15.
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