Equatorial Space is on a mission to make space launches cost-effective and eco-friendly

While they hail from diverse backgrounds, countries and continents, they all share the same dream and vision: to build better rockets to benefit the whole civilisation.

They are now about to materialise their dream.

“We are at the onset of the new space race: one driven by the commercial enterprise as much as nation-states. We want to play a part here rather than spectate when others achieve great things in space,” Simon Gwozdz, Founder of Equatorial Space Systems, tells e27.

Equatorial Space, headquartered in Singapore, is a rocket propulsion and space launch startup. Its mission is to enable space access at greatly reduced risk, cost and environmental impact compared to incumbent solutions.

The venture was founded in 2017 by Gwozdz, Jamie Anderson, and Praveen G. A National University of Singapore (NUS) graduate, Gwozdz previously worked as a Motor Transport Operator at the Singapore Armed Forces. Anderson was Head of Rocket Propulsion at Gilmour Space Technologies in Queensland. At the same time, Praveen G worked at the Centre for Advanced 2D Materials at NUS, involving the application of graphene in composite materials.

Also Read: Singaporean rocket company Equatorial Space secures US$1.5M seed funding

Equatorial Space is currently working on its Dorado commercial-sounding rocket family to provide low-cost space access for science experiments, technology demonstrators and academic payloads.

A sounding rocket doesn’t achieve the velocity required to enter orbit and provides just a few minutes of exposure to the space environment and microgravity. Sounding rockets are typically used in the launch of science experiments that range from atmospheric and magnetospheric sample collection to deep space radiation monitoring.

According to Gwozdz, Dorado uses entirely new propulsion technologies to deliver superior performance, safety, and eco-friendliness. “Dorado is a responsive launcher designed to deliver small payloads into suborbital trajectory by mid-2024. It is designed to be 100 per cent explosives-free, and ships fully inert for easy deployment to any range in the world.”

Dorado is a hybrid rocket, which burns liquid oxidiser and solid fuel to produce thrust. Separating these two ingredients into separate states of matter eliminates the risk of accidental mixing and activation, making them safer than any other type of rocket.

Hybrids are very cost-effective because, unlike purely liquid-propelled rockets, only one liquid has to be delivered to the combustion chamber where the solid-state fuel already awaits. This reduces cost by two-thirds compared to similar-sized rockets.

“Historically, hybrid rockets have been limited by the performance and properties of the solid fuels available,” he says. This is the very problem Dorado solves using its proprietary formulation. This enables hybrid rockets to achieve performance similar to that of other rockets at a fraction of the cost and complexity.

“Dorado is the first such technology to find its way into commercial use, becoming the highest performing, most affordable and lowest risk vehicle of its type in the world,” he further shares.

Dorado comes in two versions: a single-stage and a two-stage configuration which will be flown in 2025.

The startup is also working on Volans, a family of modular, low-cost space launch vehicles designed for capacities of up to 500 kg to Low Earth Orbit. Volans will deliver payload directly to a clients’ chosen inclination at their own convenience and at a low cost.

Accessing test locations a daunting challenge

Being a part of a new ecosystem always comes with exciting opportunities. However, the challenges can be daunting.

“Developing a new propellant combination requires years of trial and error to bring it to operational readiness,” he states. “Our biggest challenge has always been accessing test locations. Our test locations are all overseas for practical reasons.”

The travel restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 crisis in Asia also took a heavy toll on Equatorial Space. “Asia Pacific saw some of the longest and toughest travel restrictions on earth. While our competitors in the US and Europe continued to advance, we narrowly averted closing down as we were running out of funding,” he shares.

“With the great help of our friends up north, we still managed to complete a proof-of-concept launch of our technology in Malaysia in December 2020. It was the first launch of a commercial prototype rocket in the region,” he adds. “I continued travelling to pursue funding and traction, and spent nearly two cumulative months in isolation over that time.”

How does Equatorial Space ensure the safety and reliability of its rocket launches, particularly for academic payloads and scientific experiments? “There’s no other way to eliminate any gremlins in the design, individual components and subsystems and the integrated vehicle than detecting them through a series of stringent tests, including the final and most exhilarating part — the qualification launch,” Gwozdz says.

While Dorado is critical for Equatorial Space, it has bigger goals in mind: to pave the way for orbital launch services for satellites, a booming industry set to triple in the next decade.

“Dorado will also serve an important function testing new components and technologies before their deployment in orbit onboard satellites and deliver an invaluable learning experience to the next generation of space systems engineers who use suborbital flights for training,” he explains.

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Late last month, Equatorial Space bagged US$1.5M in seed funding led by Elev8.VC, with participation from SEEDS Capital and Masik Enterprises. This funding will help the company to win partners.

“We have been approached by several companies, from Australia, Southeast Asia to Europe, for potential partnerships for our Dorado rockets. With the latest round of funding, we will be able to offer a reliable delivery timeframe to all potential buyers,” Gwozdz says.

For Gwozdz and the team, their ‘space’ journey has just begun. They are on a big mission: “We want to change the face of not just space launches but also create a foundation for a fairer and more equitable space economy for all humanity in the next decade,” he signs off.

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