Selected Photos showing launches of DARK build rockets.
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Launch of rocket Røskva in Oksbøl, Denmark. The event took place October, 1996.

Launch of rocket Rasta in Skillingaryd, Sweden. The event took place July, 1986. The purpose of the project was to test a new recovery system. A nylon wire keep the two parts of the rocket together. Separation is initiated by burning the nylon wire and the two parts are combined to the parachute with a line.

The rocket is propelled by the standardized MiniDARK rocket motor with a diameter of 75 mm and a total length of 1.8 m. The rocket motor contains 5.5 kg Zinc/Sulphur powder (3/1) and the diaphragma is a metalplate mounted on the exit of the nozzle. Burning time is 1.5 sec. and the specific impulse is 40 sec. At burnout the velocity is 155 m/sec. and the apogee for the uncoasted flight is 1200 m. The descent speed in the parachute is 15 m/sec. The payload contained a beeper to locate the rocket after flight.

The flight went off well and the recovery system worked perfect. The recovery system have unfortunately the following disadvantages:

• Burning of the nylon wire does not give a clearly defined seperation.
• It is difficult to keep the two parts of the rocket tight together due to the elasticity of the nylon wire.

Launch of rocket Skøvnung in Skillingaryd, Sweden. The event took place July, 1991.

Launch of rocket Archimedes at ASK, Oldenbroek, The Netherlands.

Zoomed view of the Archimedes launch.

Launch of rocket SmallTom1 at ASK, Oldenbroek, The Netherlands. (Photo: John Koster, NERO)