Kuwait Space Rocket

The Kuwait Space Rocket (KSR), is a Kuwaiti project to build and launch the first suborbital liquid bi-propellant rocket in Arabia.^[1] The project is intended to be the first step towards starting a space industry in the country and a launch service provider in the GCC region. The project is divided into two phases with two separate vehicles. An initial testing phase with KSR-1 as a test vehicle capable of reaching an altitude of 8 km (5.0 mi) and a more expansive suborbital test phase with the KSR-2 planned to fly to an altitude of 100 km (62 mi).^[2] in May 16 Ambition-1 launched but had a malfunction with the parachute and crashed in free fall.

Kuwait Space Rocket (KSR)

Company type	Research group
Industry	Aerospace
Founded	January 2018
Founder	Naser Ashknani
Members	Naser Ashknani, Sulieman Alfuhaid, Hassan Almutawaa, Hassan Shamsaldeen
Website	www.kuwaitspacerocket.com

History

The project began in January 2018 for conceptual design and planning. The team started the fabrication of KSR-1 in early 2019, and as of January 2020, KSR-1 was fully built.^[3]

KSR-1

KSR-1 is a vertically-launched single stage rocket. It uses a liquid bi-propellant rocket engine burning methanol as fuel and nitrous oxide as the oxidizer. KSR-1 is intended to be a test vehicle for the development of KSR-2, the goal of which is to reach space. As such, all the major components and technologies that are expected to be used in KSR-2 are present in KSR-1. The main components of KSR 1 are the engine—consisting of the injector, nozzle, and cooling jacket— with fuel and oxidizer tanks, a nitrogen gas tank, and various valves and pressure regulators.^[4]

KSR-1 Vehicle Dimensions

KSR-1 Vehicle mass properties

Section	Mass (kg)
Dry mass	12[citation needed]
Nitrous oxide mass	3.2[citation needed]
Methanol mass	0.8[citation needed]
Total propellant mass	4[citation needed]
Total vehicle mass	16[citation needed]

KSR-1 Properties

Property	Value
Chamber pressure	3100 kPa
Exit pressure	94 kPa
Momentum thrust	520.1 N
Nozzle exit velocity	2213 m/s
Burn rate	16.8 s
Oxidizer mass flow rate	0.19 kg/s
Fuel mass flow rate	0.047 kg/s

KSR-1 Development Process

Engine Fabrication

The KSR-1 engine was built locally in Kuwait and it utilizes a pressure fed cycle. The engine utilizes the nitrous not only as an oxidizer but as a cooling agent, that flows around the nozzle and back into the injector again.^[5]

From left to right: Methanol inlet (Injector), Injector to Nozzle Connector, Copper Nozzle, Nitrous inlets (Injector), Nitrous pipe connector, Nitrous return elbow

Assembled KSR-1 Injector

Cold Flow Testing

The KSR team performed a cold flow testing in October 2019 to verify the engine's flow rate and plumbing.

Cold Flow Test

Static Testing

KSR performed a static testing of the Injector in November 2019.

Injector Static Test

Structural Assembly

The KSR-1 was fully assembled and presented at the Kuwait Aviation Show 2020.^[6]

KSR-1 Rocket

KSR-2

KSR-2 is a planned liquid bi-propellant suborbital launch vehicle. It is the second installment of the KSR Rocket Family, composed of a single stage, fueled by nitrous oxide and methanol. KSR-2 will have a total length of 4 m, a diameter of 0.4 m and a total mass of 591 kg, its apogee will be around 100 km.

See also

• Sub-orbital spaceflight
• Launch vehicle