Polaris I

Polaris I was LRA’s two-stage rocket for the 2020 - 2021 school year. It stands 11 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 30 pounds fully loaded. It was launched at Hearne Municipal Airport and reached an altitude of 5,782 ft. The rocket flew on a Cesaroni K1440 and I303 and used Altus Metrum Telemega flight computers for staging, parachute deployment, and GPS tracking.

Polaris II

Polaris II was LRA’s entry for the 2021 - 2022 Spaceport America Cup. Polaris II was largely based on Polaris I but was re-designed in order to target a 30,000-foot apogee and carry a scientific payload. At 17 feet 3 inches in height and 130 lbs fully loaded, Polaris II is the largest rocket Longhorn Rocketry has built. It was test-launched in Seymour, Texas in May 2022. The second stage did not light due to an issue with the igniter, but the rocket reached an altitude of 14,000 ft on a Cesaroni N5800 and L1395. At Spaceport America, the rocket was launched again, this time to an altitude of 6,800 ft on an N5800 and M1800. Both flights used Altus Metrum Telemega flight computers for staging, parachute deployment, and GPS tracking. LRA has performed analysis on the Spaceport flight to understand the flight dynamics during the launch and will be improving upon Polaris II to enter the 2023 Spaceport America 30K COTS competition.

Polaris II launch at the 2022 Spaceport America Cup. The rocket did not stage but was successfully recovered and will be re-flown.

Polaris II on the pad at Spaceport America.

Polaris II under boost at the Seymour test launch.

Polaris II stage separation at Seymour.

Polaris III

Polaris III is a 17-foot length, custom-built, high-powered two-stage rocket entered in 2022-2023 Spaceport America Cup. It features redesigns of its fincans and an updated sustainer section, along with a new scientific payload.

Polaris III was the most successful rocket in the Polaris series and brought LRA closer than ever to their 30,000-foot altitude goal by reaching 22,000 feet. This custom-built, 6-inch diameter, 17-foot fiberglass two-stage rocket was powered by a Cesaroni N5800-CS motor on the booster and a Cesaroni M2505-WT motor on the sustainer. Polaris III carried the FAST-SAM payload, a system designed to use airframe deformations to recreate the pressure field on the rocket during flight. The rocket was also equipped with Altus Metrum TeleMega flight computers, featuring accelerometers, long-range radios, and GPS capabilities. With Polaris III, LRA concluded their Polaris and 2-stage series and switched to single-stage rocket missions.