Projects
Projects
Active Teams
HALEX – High Altitude Launch Experiments is the flagship project of DARE. The project focuses on higher altitude rocket launches with an emphasis on simplicity, reliability, and efficiency. Following the awarding-winning HALEX 1 launch at EuRoC 2024, HALEX II aims to reach space in 2027 using a solid-propellant rocket in a dart configuration.
Combining many years of knowledge and research into a single, ambitious project Stratos V aims to launch and reuse a cryogenic liquid bi-propellant rocket with a scientific payload onboard, fully designed and built by university students.
DARE has been the main rocket supplier for the annual Dutch CanSat competition, organized by ESERO as an outreach to Dutch secondary schools. Teams of 15-16 year old pupils competed to build the best CanSat, a small satellite built inside a soda can, to be launched by our rocket.
Designing and developing flight software and electronics for rockets and ground systems.
Designing, producing and testing new parachute designs and configurations for DARE launch vehicles.
Chimera
Project Chimera aims to develop new and innovative hybrid rocket engines in DARE. A new cryogenic 6kN engine is being developed for a 9km-class rocket.
Axolotl
Axolotl is a liquid engine development team, aiming to stream line the process of liquid engine development and research.
Haystack
Haystack focuses on experimental retrieval methods. This unique team combines consideration of human factors with the strict constraints of rocket engineering, helping improve rocket retrieval across DARE.
Monolith
HTP monopropellant engine development. The goal is to verify the operational capacity of DARE to handle, load and launch HTP on a real rocket.
Hornet
Developing and test a small-scale TVC system using an electric engine with contra-rotating propellers mounted on a gimbal that can be used to gain experience with system modeling and control.
Inactive Teams
The first large launcher developed by DARE, featuring a two-stage solid rocket. Stratos I successfully reached 12.5 km, breaking European student altitude record.
The Stratos II rocket was the first large hybrid launcher built by DARE. The vehicle did however not lift-off due to a frozen oxidizer valve. Stratos II+ was the answer to Stratos II in 2015, and successfully launched to 21.5 km, breaking the European student altitude record set by Stratos I.
After the launch of Stratos II+, the HyEnD student team claimed the European student altitude record. The 330 kg vehicle lifted-off perfectly, but an anomaly occurred at 10 km, resulting in a rapid unscheduled disintegration of the vehicle.
After the Stratos III in flight RUD, work on Stratos IV began. The team was determined and committed to achieving their mission: “Design, build, test, and launch a rocket which would break boundaries in Fall 2021.”. Unfortunately, ground system difficulties prevented the vehicle from taking off
Advanced Control Team
Investigating active stabilization of rockets. Discontinued in 2019.
Aether
Aether aims to test a supersonic rocket showcasing active aerodynamic stabilization through the use of steerable wings, and deploying a new high speed recovery concept by ejecting a drogue chute via a high pressure cold-gas mortar. Currently on hold waiting for the biggest solid rocket engine developed by DARE, the DXS-Icarus.
Capsule and Recovery
They designed recovery systems and structures for many DARE rockets, including Stratos II/II+. Discontinued after splitting up into the Parachute Research Group and Structures Team in 2018.
Cryogenic Propulsion
Researching and developing liquid rocket engines with cryogenic propellants. Discontinued in 2020, when Sparrow took over.
DAWN
The first team in DARE actively developing hybrid rocket engines. Designers of the DHX-200 ‘Aurora’ engine used on Stratos II/II+.
Deimos
Infinity and Beyond
Designed recovery systems and structures, including for Stratos II/II+. Discontinued after splitting up into the Parachute Research Group and Structures Team in 2018.
NEAR is designing and building a rocket that is to reach an apogee of 3.5km, using an experimental Active Apogee Control system.
Phoenix
The second hybrid propulsion team in DARE. The founding fathers of the DHX-400 ‘Nimbus’ engine used on Stratos III. Discontinued in 2017.
Sparrow
Designing, building, and testing a thrust-vectoring, liquid fuel rocket engine, named DLX 150B ‘Firebolt’, to power DARE’s next generation of high-performance rockets.
Supersonic parachute project flying a small experimental payload capsule on board of the Rexus rocket in March 2020.
SHEAR was an experiment that flew aboard REXUS 32 as part of the German-Swedish programme REXUS/BEXUS.
Kraken
Salamander
Developed composite propellants, inhibitors and igniters for use in high performance solid rocket motors
