Mission Profile

The flight of the “Gauchito” starts with the ignition of the 4 hybrid rocket engines that propel the vehicle towards space. Combined, these engines produce a maximum acceleration of 3G’s. The engines stops when the vehicle reaches 36 Kilometers (22 miles). The rocket continues by momentum up to 108 kilometers (67 miles). Once the maximum height is reached, the rocket and the capsule separate.

During part of the flight the crew members will be able to experience microgravity conditions. During this period of time the automatic system or pilot will be able to reorient the capsule for reentry using a cold gas reaction control system. In case of a malfunction the capsule is designed to reorient itself through the correct placement of of its center of gravity. It is critical that the thermal protection system be properly oriented during reentry.

After about 4 minutes of microgravity, the capsule will reenter the atmosphere. The capsule’s deceleration will reach 4G’s when it reaches the upper atmosphere.

After this stage a drogue parachute will be ejected by a pyrotechnic device in order to stabilize the capsule. At 10 kilometers (approx 6 miles) a drogue parachute will open to stabilize the capsule and at 3 kilometers (approx. 2 miles) the main parachute will open (in reefed state) and will slow the capsule to complete the deceleration process in order to reduce the speed for a 5/7 meters (16/22 feet) per second. The recovery will be made in the South Atlantic Ocean, close to the Argentine coast.

The mission specifications are:

- Launch method: Vertical Launch with mobile tower

- Maximum Acceleration at ascent: 3G’s

- Time of engines shutdown: 60 seconds

- Altitude at engine shutdown: 36 Kilometers (approx. 22 miles)

- Maximum Speed: 1200 m/s (3,937 feet/second)

- Maximum Altitude: 108 Kilometers (approx. 67 miles)

- Time of Microgravity: 240 seconds (4 minutes)

- Acceleration at Reentry: 4Gs (peak)

- Reentry Method: Ballistic, with braking system by parachutes

- Total Duration of Flight: 17 minutes (approx.)

- Distance over the terrain: 80 kilometers approx. ( 49 miles)

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