BluShift Aerospace launches first rocket powered by biofuels

Space startup bluShift launched its first rocket powered by bio-derived rocket fuels on Sunday.

The fuels, which are intended to be used to propel small satellites into space, were employed in a single-stage prototype that can only carry 18 lbs of payload and is designed to achieve suborbital space.

Stardust 1.0 had been designed to be reusable, although it was still a prototype, but its successor, known as Stardust 2.0, is expected to have increased payload capacity.

According to TechCrunch, the fuels differ from traditional propellants in that they offer safety advantages during handling, and ecological advantages during production and use.

The startup, which is backed by the Maine Technology Institute and NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research, has been working on its solid rocket biofuel since its founding in 2014.