Scientific Workgroup for Rocketry and Spaceflight explained

The Scientific Workgroup for Rocketry and Spaceflight (WARR) (German: Wissenschaftliche Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Raketentechnik und Raumfahrt) is a scientific workgroup situated at Technical University of Munich, composed mainly of its students. It was founded by students in 1962 with the goal to compensate for the lack of a chair for space technology at the university at the time.[1] Since the establishment of such a chair in 1966, the group has conducted practical projects, starting with the first successful development and of a hybrid rocket in Germany. One rocket of this type was launched in 1972, another is on permanent display at Deutsches Museum. WARR has attained some public attention by for its projects in space elevator competitions,[2] [3] small satellites[4] interstellar spaceflight concepts,[5] and for winning all SpaceX Hyperloop pod competitions.[6] [7] [8]

Currently, WARR works in the fields of hybrid propulsion, satellite technology, robotics, and transportation technologies.

History

1962Founding of WARR by
1966–1974Research on engines for hybrid rockets
1974First flight of Barbarella (first German hybrid rocket, displayed in German Museum)
since 1975Research on engines for liquid-propellant rockets
2000Construction of a hybrid demonstrator engine
2002Occupation of the new space in Garching and establishing a dynamometer
2004Presentation of projects at ILA in Berlin, Germany
since 2005Scientific payload T-Rex on the Swedish sounding rocket Rexus in cooperation with the chair for space travel and the EADS Astrium GmbH.
Work on the following projects: space elevator, cubesat (mini satellite) and Micro-Hybrid (miniature hybrid engine)
2006First WARR Winter Launch (WWL, model rocket contest) and presentation of the project at the ILA in Berlin, Germany
2009Founding of WARR Interstellar Flight Team [9]
2011Organization and participation in the first European Space Elevator Challenge (EUSPEC) on the grounds of TU Munich[10]
2012Contribution to IdeenPark in Essen, Germany [11]
2012Participation in SpaceUp conference in Stuttgart, Germany[12]
2012Founding of a project group for satellite technology, and the initiation of work on Cubesat MOVE-II financed by German Aerospace Center[13]
2013Founding of the project group STERN, aiming to break the student record for rocket altitude in Europe[14]
2013Founding of the project group "WARR Space Manufacturing" for research on 3D printing in microgravity[15]
2013Launch of the student satellite First-MOVE into a polar orbit[16]
2013The project group ‘’Interstellar Space Flight’’ wins the international Project Icarus Design Competition for uncrewed interstellar space probes with fusion engines
2015Launch of the experimental rocket WARR-Ex2 from CLBI in Brazil[17]
2015The project group ’’Interstellar Space Flight’’ wins the international Dragonfly Design Competition for uncrewed interstellar space probes with laser sail engines[18]
2015Founding of WARR Hyperloop and the development of a prototype for a Hyperloop capsule for the SpaceX Hyperloop pod competition[19]
2017Winner of the Hyperloop pod competition I with a top speed of 93 km/h
2017Winner of the Hyperloop pod competition II with a top speed of 323.5 km/h
2018Winner of the Hyperloop pod competition III with a top speed of 457 km/h
2019Winner of the Hyperloop pod competition IV with a top speed of 463.5 km/h

Project groups of WARR

Rocketry

Existing since the foundation of WARR in 1962, the department for rocketry is the oldest project group of WARR. With the launch of the first German hybrid rocket in 1974, WARR achieved its first major success, which was promptly followed by the construction of multiple test engines. In 2009 the development of its next rocket began, called WARR-Ex2, powered by the in-house developed hybrid engine HYPER-1 with solid HTPB fuel and nitrous oxide as oxidizer. The rocket was successfully launched on 20 May 2015 from the missile base CLBI on the Atlantic coast of Brazil and reached a maximal altitude of approximately 5 km.[17] Even before the launch of WARR-Ex2, WARR had begun working on its successor, WARR-Ex3, as part of project STERN[20] (STudentische Experimental-RaketeN) (German abbreviation for "student experimental rocketry"), organized and financed by the German Aerospace Center. As the given objectives of STERN were already reached within WARR-Ex2, it was decided to build a larger rocket, the WARR-Ex 3. It uses liquid oxygen instead of nitrous oxide, while maintaining the use of HTPB.[14] It launched in July 2023 from FAR in California and reached an apogee of 12.4 Kilometres.

The Newest project, Project Nixus, features a Biliquid, regeneratively cooled, 3D Printed engine that provides 3.5Kn of thrust. It uses Ethanol and Liquid Oxygen, building on the experience with cryogenics that the EX-3 provided. It will see its first flight on the EX-4 Rocket at the European Rocketry Challenge. The rocket features many new technologies such as CFRP loadbearing skins, modular connectors, custom avionics and an SLM printed IN718 Valkyrie engine. The engine has been Hotfired 22 times as of July 2023

Satellite Technology

Since the cubesat First-MOVE was primarily developed by doctoral candidates from the institute of astronautics at the TUM, the involvement of students was intensified during the development of its successor MOVE-II. To make use of WARR's existing infrastructure, a new project group was founded, where the members could work on all subsystems. In 2012, development of a mission profile was started. After approval by the German Aerospace Center in 2015, launch of the satellite is expected in 2017.[13]

MOVE-II is a 10x10x10 cm big satellite (1U-Cubesat). It consists of a bus on the one side, which is responsible for power supply, communication and attitude control. Its Mission is to educate Students and Test some prototype Solar Cells.MOVE-IIb is an almost exact copy of MOVE-II launched in 2019.

Space-Elevator

WARR Space-Elevator is developing climber robots since its founding in 2005, and also organizes corresponding competitions. The first climber was developed for the JSETEC2009 competition and reached the targeted 150 m in the shortest time.[21] In 2011 the European Space Elevator Challenge (EUSPEC) was established, which also focused on energy efficiency.[22] Following that year the competition was repeated with increased cable length of 50 m.[23]

Interstellar Flight

The WARR Interstellar Flight Team (ISF) is working on concepts for interstellar travel.[24] The goals of WARR ISF are:

In May 2013 the "Ghost Team" of WARR ISF participated in Project Icarus.[25] The name "Ghost" derives from the sudden appearance of the team in the competition and resulting in confusion of the other participants. WARR presented its concept at the British Interplanetary Society in October 2013 and was awarded for the best design among 4 international teams.[25]

In October 2014 begun development of a laser propelled interstellar probe for the Project Dragonfly Design Competition, held by the Initiative for Interstellar Studies (I4IS). The WARR team could prevail in this competition against international competitors, too.[25]

Hyperloop

In August 2015 the project group Hyperloop was founded to participate in the Hyperloop Pod Competition sponsored by SpaceX. In January 2016, WARR's was one of 30 international teams selected (from a pool of over 700 initially participating[26]) to build a functional prototype for the final phase of the competition in summer of 2016.[19]

, the prototype developed by WARR was intended to feature an electrodynamic suspension system to levitate and an axial compressor to minimize aerodynamic drag from the residual air inside the tube.[27]

The WARR pod was the fastest in the January 2017 competition which was run on the SpaceX Hyperloop test track—or Hypertube—a mile-long, partial-vacuum, 72inches-diameter steel tube purpose-built in Hawthorne, California for the competition.In December 2018, WARR Hyperloop was rebranded to TUM Hyperloop. Since this time it is managed by a separate organisation, called NEXT.[28] [29]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Sudhof. Samuel. Lungu, Paul. Hybrid Engine Development, Education and Outreach at Munich's Scientific Workgroup for Rocketry and Space Flight (WARR). Joint Propulsion Conference Proceedings. 17 July 2013. 49. 10.2514/6.2013-4137. 27 January 2014. 978-1-62410-222-6.
  2. Web site: European Space Agency. Die Europaeische Space Elevator Challenge geht in die zweite Runde. ESA. 27 January 2014.
  3. Web site: Japan Space Elevator Association. Results from Asia's first ever Space Elevator Competition. 27 January 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20131202232850/http://www.spaceelevatorblog.com/Images/2009JSETEC/2009-08-13-PressRelease_english.pdf. 2 December 2013. dead. dmy-all.
  4. Web site: Wilkens. Andreas. Zwei bayerische Uni-Satelliten im Weltall. Heise Verlag. 27 January 2014.
  5. Web site: Swinney. Robert. Project Icarus Workshop Winner Announced. Icarus Interstellar. 27 January 2014.
  6. News: Germany's WARR team wins SpaceX's Hyperloop II race with 201-mph pod run . Alan . Boyle . GeekWire . US . 27 August 2017 . 26 September 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170925021152/https://www.geekwire.com/2017/germanys-warr-team-wins-spacexs-hyperloop-ii-race-201-mph-pod-run/ . 25 September 2017 . live .
  7. News: WARR Hyperloop pod hits 284 mph to win SpaceX competition . 18 July 2018 . The Verge . 30 July 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180729171135/https://www.theverge.com/2018/7/22/17601280/warr-hyperloop-pod-competition-spacex-elon-musk . 29 July 2018 . live .
  8. Web site: Team TUM wins SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition with record 288 mph top speed. TechCrunch. 22 July 2019 . en-US. 2019-07-28.
  9. Web site: WARR . WARR Interstellar Space Flight . 2013-11-27 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131202231120/http://www.warr.de/isf/team . 2013-12-02 . dead .
  10. Web site: Klaus Höchstetter Stiftung . Projekte 2011 . 2013-11-27.
  11. Web site: Pascal Hesse . Der Westen . Mit dem Aufzug ins Weltall beim Ideenpark in der Messe Essen . 2012-08-14 . 2013-11-27.
  12. Web site: AerospaceResearch.net . AerospaceResearch.net . spaceup stuttgart 2012 20min talk michael deiml warr and their current projects . 2013-01-29 . 2014-01-08 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131204024319/http://www.warr.de/satelliten . 2013-12-04 . dead .
  13. Web site: WARR . WARR . WARR Satellitentechnik . 2013-01-29 . 2015-09-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131204024319/http://www.warr.de/satelliten . 2013-12-04 . dead .
  14. Web site: WARR . Raketentechnik - Projekt Cryosphere . 2013-06-04 . 2015-09-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131202235250/http://www.warr.de/raketentechnik/stern . 2013-12-02 . dead .
  15. Web site: WARR . Raketentechnik - Projekt Cryosphere . 2013-11-27 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131202235250/http://www.warr.de/raketentechnik/stern . 2013-12-02 . dead .
  16. Web site: Heise . Zwei bayerische Uni-Satelliten im Weltall . 2013-11-21 . 2013-11-27.
  17. Web site: WARR . Facebook-Page on the Launch of WARR-Ex 2 . 2015-06-04 . 2015-09-20.
  18. Web site: Centauri Dreams . Small Interstellar Probes, Riding Laser Beams – The Project Dragonfly Design Competition Workshop . 2015-07-17 . 2015-09-20.
  19. Web site: Zeit Online . Elon Musk lässt das Rohrpost-Reisen testen . 2016-02-18 . 2016-03-14.
  20. Web site: DLR . STERN: Das Raketen-Programm für Studenten . 2015-09-20.
  21. Web site: Japan Space Elevator Association . Results from Asia's first ever Space Elevator Competition . PDF; 184 kB . 2009-08-13 . 2013-11-27 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131202232850/http://www.spaceelevatorblog.com/Images/2009JSETEC/2009-08-13-PressRelease_english.pdf . 2013-12-02 . dead .
  22. Web site: The Space Elevator Blog . EuroSpaceward announces EuSEC - the first European Space Elevator Challenge! . 2010-10-21 . 2013-11-27.
  23. Web site: ESA . Die Europäische Space Elevator Challenge geht in die zweite Runde . 2012-09-14 . 2013-11-27.
  24. Web site: WARR . Interstellar Space Flight - Project Icarus . 2013-11-27 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131202224512/http://www.warr.de/isf . 2013-12-02 . dead .
  25. Web site: WARR . Das Team WARR Ghost . 2013-11-27 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131203005823/http://www.warr.de/isf/icarus . 2013-12-03 . dead .
  26. Web site: . Tweet . 2016-03-14.
  27. Web site: The Huffington Post . Zukunft des Reisens? Wie Münchner Studenten den Hyperloop bauen . 2016-02-03 . 2016-03-14.
  28. Web site: Elon Musk hails Hyperloop teams – and touts the tunnel he'll be boring at SpaceX . 30 January 2017 .
  29. Web site: Here are the big winners of Elon Musk's Hyperloop pod competition . .