THE IMAGE

Here you see quick snap shots of a new design compared to a human/drood and my first operational Micro Lift Rocket “Maya” C-S LV (Cube-sat Launch Vehicle). This is my new rockets upper stage and fairing assembly showcasing detail work and texturing.

THE PLAN

Following the success of Maya CS which is fully autonomous to LEO 3 stage 15 meters tall rocket with 45Kg payload capacity. I have came up with a bigger solution following pretty much the same design principle I used creating Maya, a cheap but reliable boosters and a capable orbital tugs to get that payload up into orbit in the most precise and practical way.

THE DESIGN

Similar to Maya C-S LV - I would follow a 3 stage rocket with the first 2 stages using a fixed powerful “SRBs” (Solid rocket boosters) and a liquid LOX/RP-1 upper stage to precisely do the final push to orbit and perform orbital maneuvers. Targeting a 2,000Kg payload capacity, it is capable of delivering most commercial satellites.

THE CHALLENGE

Designing Maya C-S LV comes with various challenges, to mention are non-gimbal motors and uncontrolled thrust so as heating issues punching through the atmosphere. Right now everything for Maya C-S LV is pretty much dialed in mostly after I coded events and active thrust and pitch management system. It’s launched at an optimal angle about 70-75 degrees, tuned the engines just right that it comes really fast and heats up just at the sweet spot that it leaves the atmosphere completely before everything glows red (this is what I meant with everything dialed in).

The new design would pretty much face the same challenges and some maybe completely the opposite of Maya C-S LV that requires a completely opposite solution from what I have already figured out in a small rocket to a much larger one that follows the same design principles.

Here’s my take for a small/light - space launch vehicle inspired by JAXA’s SS 520-5 but mine is just slightly taller and can carry 20kg to low earth orbit (RSS). Utelizing a 3 stage design with the first 2 stages running pure solid fuel, unlike the SS 520-5 that launches on a tilted tower, I made mine a little different and uses active motor guidance for launching it inspired by the Onyx missile system to give the rocket a desirable pitch since solid motors can’t be vectored for directional/pitch control.

I made a few changes since my last post “Cool but impractical”. I removed the spin on launch and the rocket had become slightly more taller and heavier. I then added a simple vizzy script for auto orbit which takes care of every stages. The script gets you to orbit safely with 4-5% remaining liquid fuel to do orbital adjustment at least would give you a circularized 400-600km orbit adjustmemt. Also to mention, due to the nature of being a small rocket it has insane TWR and accelerates like crazy! So just to lessen the impact on precious satellite payloads, I added some shock absorbers.

I made a short video demonstration. I call this rocket “Maya” SS/CS LV (Small sat / Cube sat Launch Vehicle) - Maya is a filipino term for the bird Sparrow.

This is my under development 3-stage light space launch / cube sat platform for RSS inspired by Jaxa SS550 - 1st and 2nd stage are pure solid propellant and since solid motor cannot be vectored for direction control and do a gravity turn. I created this (idk what its called) kind of a launching system using small solid motors timed to actively launch this rocket at an angle instead of using a traditional angled launch rail.

It will punch through the atmosphere for an apogee of around 120-200km - let it coast till about 1 minute till apogee before activating 2nd stage to increase horizontal velocity. The final push and precise orbital corrections are provided by the 3rd stage small LOX/RP-1 engine.

IT CANT REACH ORBIT YET, BUT I SAW POTENTIAL. I’m working on it still.