We Still Exist!

It has been almost a year since we posted a blog, due to the fact that the nano-launch vehicle project had been put on the back burner as with the company itself.  We are now back in a position to resume work on the N-Prize.  We will be refining the design of the rocket and making a less complicated satellite than we had hoped for our first attempt.  We will also soon be restarting to find university partners for the long term Mars-Venus colonization project.  Look forward to great things here at Williams Aerospace and Robotics!

Still Working on the N-Prize

Our N-Prize.  project is progressing slowly but surely.  We are still working on two satellites, but each will be launched on a different rocket, as there are two different categories for the competition.  The first is a single shot non-reusable rocket, and the second category is all or partially reusable rocket.  The second type will contain the more complicated active satellite since it is more expensive to build and the budget constraints are easier to meet with parts of the rocket being reusable.  At present, our designs are still being worked on and we hope to begin construction of test rockets in the next 2-3 months.  After that process begins, we will be in the truly fun part of the project.  Videos will be posted to show our progress.

It has been a long time since we have posted, and we apologize for this.  We are currently restarting work on our N-Prize project after an extensive hiatus.  We will be working hard to complete the competition soon.  The design we have is being reworked to reduce weight and enhance the strength of the overall concept.  We have also relocated back to Washington state, and will be here permanently.  The basics of the rocket are the same, and we will be launching two satellites instead of just one.  Both of which will be separate and have different designs while still being below the cost cap.  We are currently working to ensure that we will meet all regulatory requirements and both local and federal laws while engaged in this endeavor.  Thank you all for your continued support.  Together we can win this competition!

Mars Colonization Update

In our long term project of seeking to colonize Mars we have so far not found help from universities.  We have continued to work on the project nonetheless.  We have identified a source of nitrogen for the atmosphere from a location previously thought to actually need nitrogen for colonizaiton itself: Venus.  Venus has almost 100 times as much mass in its atmosphere as Earth, of which roughly 3.5% is nitrogen.  This means that there is actually too much nitrogen on Venus.  This nitrogen will be used on Mars, as well as oxygen from the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to create stable climates on both planets.  There will be no need to send a mission to potentially the outer solar system in search of enough nitrogen.  The problem is extracting the excess mass from Venus, which will be a project for the next phase of this effort. 

Change of Rocket Type for N-Prize Launch Vehicle

Our launch vehicle for the N-Prize competition has four stages divided into two phases.  Phase II is a liquid rocket type using and equivalent to PR-1 and liquid oxygen.  Phase I is being changed from the solid rocket to what is called a hybrid rocket.  A hybrid rocket uses a mix of solid and liquid propellants.  Usually the oxidizer is the liquid and the fuel is the solid, though there are some configurations that are switched.  We will be using the conventional hybrid configuration using liquid oxygen for the oxidizer and a solid fuel mixture of PBAN, aluminum and sucrose.  This change is due to our long term plans now including a larger launch vehicle that requires a higher performance and more versatility than solid fuels can deliver.  This new configuration will come with additional complexities, but they will hopefully be offset by the safety of the system as well as the similarities of the oxidizer subsystem with Phase II.

Upper Stages Design Complete

We have finally been able to complete the design of the upper two stages of our launch vehicle for the N-Prize.  We had been considering hydrogen peroxide for the oxidizer instead of liquid oxygen, but decided on the LOx.  This happened when the complexities of obtaining hydroden peroxide in sufficient purity out weighed the advantages from not using cryogenics.  For a later design that requires a micro launch vehicle to be on stand by for long periods of time, the H2O2 would be used, but for this competition the rocket will not need to be sitting on its launch stand for much time.  We are also still seeking a source of funding to be able to construct the rocket and satellite.  If you are interested in either donating to this effort, please use the Donate button below.  You can contact us at will@williamsaerospaceandrobotics.com. 

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