Starchaser Industries
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Starchaser Industries is a commercial space company based in Hyde, United Kingdom. The name Starchaser first emerged in 1992 when the project was started by the present managing director Steve Bennett with the aim of developing an inexpensive means of delivering small scientific payloads to high altitudes. Since the launch of the first rocket, Starchaser 1, in 1993 fifteen further launches have taken place with each new rocket being bigger and more powerful than the previous. The largest rocket in the current Starchaser fleet, the 11 metre tall Nova, was powered by a cluster of commercially available solid rocket motors. Today Starchaser is developing two rockets, SKYBOLT and Thunderstar/Starchaser 5, in an endeavour to restart Britain's space program at the forefront of the commercial space industry. As Starchaser receives no government backing the project is financed by private investors, the supporters group, educational outreach program and online shop.
In early 2005, Starchaser Industries expanded into the US market by incorporating in the State of New Mexico. Starchaser Industries Inc. has established offices and purchased land in Southern New Mexico, near Las Cruces. In December 2006 Starchaser won a European Space Agency contract valued at 150,000 Euros.
[edit] X Prize Participation
During Starchaser's involvement in the X Prize competition many new systems were developed and tested, including engines, capsules and parachutes. The largest engine built and fired by the team during the X Prize was the Churchill mk2 bi-liquid rocket engine. This motor produced 3000Kg of thrust and was fuelled with liquid oxygen and kerosene. During the test firings in 2003, the Churchill mk2 knocked tiles off house roofs three miles away and turned part of the concrete test stand that it was mounted on into glass and smeared it down the side of a hill[citation needed]. Since this test Starchaser has built two new engines, the STORM 7000Kg and Churchill mk3 15000Kg bi-liquid rocket engines.
