Poland is closer to suborbital launches: 300 mm rocket tested

Poland has tested a rocket with a 300 mm diameter engine as part of a project to create a reusable suborbital launch system.

The video of the test was posted by Pawel Sokala on the social network X.

The rocket should be able to launch a payload beyond the Karman line to an altitude of 100 km.

The three-stage suborbital missile system is being developed by the Polish Military Institute of Weapons Technology (WITU).

The project is aimed not only at reducing the cost of launching space missions, but also at opening up new opportunities for microgravity research and studying the upper atmosphere.

In 2024, the institute demonstrated a rocket engine with a diameter of 300 mm (308 mm to be exact).

It was tested in 2023, during which the missile guidance system was also tested.

The three-stage suborbital missile also has the potential to be an air defense weapon.

Thanks to its three stages, the missile can reach a range of up to 150 km. The weight of a single-segment engine with a nozzle is 148 kg.

A suborbital flight occurs when a spacecraft or launch vehicle reaches an altitude of more than 100 kilometers above sea level, which is the definition of outer space, but does not gain enough speed to enter Earth’s orbit.

This type of flight is often used to study the upper atmosphere, test spacecraft technologies, or for suborbital tourist flights.

A suborbital space flight is less expensive and less complicated than an orbital flight because it does not require such a high speed to enter the Earth’s orbit.