February 1st, 2021
BluShift Aerospace
It’s no longer strange to see rocket startups, but one company just broke new ground for environmentally responsible launches.
Space.comreports that BluShift Aerospace has tested what it says is the first commercial booster rocket powered by biofuel. The Maine-based firm successfully launched its Stardust 1.0 sounding rocket on January 31st using a “bio-derived” solid fuel after multiple problems that included weather, valve pressure and igniters.
This was a modest test that reached just 4,000 feet before the 20-foot rocket parachuted back to Earth, but it proved the viability of BluShift’s MAREVL (Modular Adaptable Rocket Engine for Vehicle Launch) and associated biofuel.