Stardust 1.0: The first rocket to run on biofuel

Stardust 1.0: The first rocket to run on biofuel

Part of: GS Prelims and GS- III – Sci & Tech

In news 

• On January 31, Stardust 1.0 was launched from Loring Commerce Centre in Maine, US, a former military base.

Key takeaways

• It became the first commercial space launch powered by biofuel, which is non-toxic for the environment as opposed to traditionally used rocket fuel.
• Stardust 1.0 is a launch vehicle suited for student and budget payloads. 
• The rocket is 20 feet tall and has a mass of roughly 250 kg. 
• The rocket can carry a maximum payload mass of 8 kg.
• These rockets will help to launch small satellites called cubesats into space in a way that is relatively cheaper than using traditional rocket fuel and is less toxic for the environment. 

Important value additions

• Biofuels are obtained from biomass, which can be converted directly into liquid fuels that can be used as transportation fuels.
• The two most common kinds of biofuels in use today are ethanol and biodiesel.
• They both represent the first generation of biofuel technology. 
• Ethanol is renewable and made from different kinds of plant materials. 
• Biodiesel is produced by combining alcohol with new and used vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled cooking grease.

Do you know?

• Other companies are working towards making access to space easier. 
• One of them is Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’s Space Company called Blue Origin. 
• Last year in October, the company tested a rocket system called New Shephard. 
• The rocket system is meant to take tourists to space eventually and offers flights to space over 100 km above Earth and accommodation for payloads. 
• Such efforts are a part of a growing number of commercial space companies that are working to provide easier and cheaper access to space to laypeople and also to make access to space cost-effective for purposes of academic research, corporate technology development, and entrepreneurial ventures among others.

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