As of November 2016, the first baseline concept for Stratos III has been established and the preliminary design has started. The baseline design consists of a single stage rocket with a hybrid rocket engine, similar to the previous Stratos generation. The engine will deliver an average thrust of about 15kN (20-25kN peak) for a burn time of 28 seconds. As of yet the developed engine, the DHX-400 ‘Nimbus’, is the most powerful student-build hybrid rocket in the world, with an impulse of around 400 kNs. Furthermore, several new innovations within DARE will be implemented in the Stratos design such as a composite structure and an active parachute deployment system.
For production and assembly, we make use of the facilities in the infamous D:Dream-Hall of the TU Delft, where also other student projects (also known as D:Dream Teams) are housed.