European Space Agency invests €2.4 million in Poland's SpaceForest

 

 

 

The European Space Agency (ESA) has provided €2.4 million (approximately 3.4 billion KRW) in support to the Polish rocket startup SpaceForest, as part of efforts to promote private space transportation services.

This funding is part of ESA's "Boost! Initiative," introduced in 2019 to establish a European space transportation environment led by private industry.

SpaceForest plans to use the funds to enhance the performance of its sounding rocket "Perun," which can carry up to 50 kg of payload to an altitude of 150 km.

In particular, the company intends to invest the funds in upgrading the combustion chamber of its self-developed hybrid engine, the "SF1000," as well as building infrastructure such as refueling and communication facilities for the rocket.

So far, the Perun rocket has completed two test flights.

During the first flight, it reached an altitude of 22 km, and in the second flight, it reached 13 km. However, neither attempt achieved the target altitude of 50 km.

Despite these results, the company is preparing to address technical issues and improve performance with this investment, paving the way for the full implementation of a privately-led space transportation system.

SpaceForest is focused on developing an environmentally friendly and efficient rocket using its hybrid SF1000 engine.

This engine uses paraffin as fuel, which is considered cleaner and more economical compared to traditional rocket fuels.

A representative from ESA stated, "It's important to support the growth of Europe's space industry through the innovation of private companies," and added, "We will help promising startups like SpaceForest make even greater strides."

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European Space Agency invests €2.4 million in Poland's SpaceForest