SpaceForest: Perun sounding rocket

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Boosting SpaceForest sounding rocket

In brief

ESA and SpaceForest just signed a ‘Boost!’ contract to further develop and commercialise the Perun suborbital launch service.

In-depth

Based in Poland, SpaceForest is developing a new commercial single-stage European sounding rocket offering almost four minutes of microgravity experimentation time. The 11.5-m tall rocket will be able to launch 50 kg up to 150 km in altitude while also stabilising the payload for high-quality microgravity periods of flight.

Perun runs on modified paraffin, commonly used as candle wax, and so its propellant is non-toxic. The rocket can be launched on a mobile launch pad, allowing for easy deployment at launch facilities around Europe.

Last year, SpaceForest launched two full-scale models of its Perun rocket that flew to 22 km and 13 km altitude from the coastal town of Ustka, Poland, on the Baltic Sea.

Boost!

To support the further service development and deployment, ESA is offering co-funding of €2.4 million for the following activities:

Upgrades to the combustion chamber will be designed, manufactured and flight-tested, followed by flight demonstrations of Perun to 50 km, 80 km, 100 km and 150 km altitudes to test the system and check the microgravity parameters.

ESA will also help in designing a mobile refueling station, ground support station and tracking and communication system, that can be transported by general road vehicles to keep launch activities agile and manageable.

With its Boost! programme, ESA is boosting commercial initiatives that offer transportation services to space, in space, and returning from space. The programme also supports Member States implementing national objectives for spaceports, testing facilities and more.

More information about Perun rocket system can be found at: perunrocket.com.

https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Transportation/Boost/Boosting_SpaceForest_sounding_rocket

Credits: SpaceForest

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https://spaceforest.pl/perun/

PERUN FLIGHT PROFILE

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PERUN Rocket with Operational SF-1000 Engine! Another Step for Poland Towards Space 🚀

26 February 2025

Success of the Second SF-1000 Engine Test

The Polish suborbital rocket project, PERUN, has reached another milestone! We have conducted the second test of the operational version of the SF-1000 engine, which functioned for the full burn time until complete fuel depletion. This paves the way for reaching altitudes of 150 km and beyond, marking a significant advancement for both Polish and European rocket technology and future space missions.

SF-1000 Engine Test – Full Burn Cycle and Optimization
The test was carried out at the Central Air Force Test Range in Ustka. Its primary objective was to evaluate the engine’s performance throughout the full launch cycle into space. A key focus was refining the engine’s internal geometry, which allowed for a reduced combustion chamber mass and improved flight parameters.

Key Test Results:

- The engine successfully sustained the required burn time to launch the rocket into space – the structure remained intact

- Complete fuel burn – the valve operated as expected

- Reduced launch mass – thanks to optimized flow geometry

- Stable combustion chamber performance – confirming readiness for serial production

SF-1000 Engine Technical Specifications:

- Fuel: Modified paraffin

- Oxidizer: Nitrous oxide

- Total impulse in liquid phase: 1.1 MNs

- Burn time: 39 seconds

- Expected altitude with a 50 kg payload: 150 km

Future Tests and First Space Research Missions

The final SF-1000 engine test is ahead, where we will validate the Thrust Vector Control (TVC) system. This system will enable precise and safe control of the PERUN rocket’s flight. Our advanced control system incorporates an innovative carbon-carbon (CFRC) composite material and newly developed ablative materials resistant to extreme conditions.

https://spaceforest.pl/perun-rocket-with-operational-sf-1000-engine-another-step-for-poland-towards-space/

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SF-1000 Engine Completes Qualification Test, PERUN Rocket Gears Up for Launch from Ustka

4 August 2025

We have successfully completed the Qualification Model (QM) test of the SF-1000 rocket engine and its Thrust Vector Control (TVC) system. This is a key milestone confirming the readiness of the propulsion and control systems that will be used in the upcoming PERUN suborbital rocket mission on Polish territory.

The rocket is scheduled to launch in autumn 2025 from the Central Air Force Training Range in Ustka. The engine test marks one of the final steps toward full mission readiness. In parallel, we have signed contracts with the Atlantic Spaceport Consortium (Portugal) and EuroSpaceport (Denmark), entering the European suborbital flight market and showcasing Polish engineering in complex operational environments.

[Mighty-T]

Launch should be today?
https://t.co/ji5TjzBxBE

[StraumliBlight]

Launch should be today?
https://t.co/ji5TjzBxBE

It was on track yesterday.

https://twitter.com/SpaceForest2/status/1991846587744538766

Morning briefing of the PERUN launch team - everything is proceeding according to plan. We’re heading to Ustka shortly!

Successful launch of the Polish Perun rocket [Nov 24]

On Saturday, just before 2 p.m., SpaceForest successfully launched its Perun suborbital rocket from the Central Air Force Training Grounds in Ustka. The launch vehicle carried research payloads from all over Poland, among other things. This was the rocket's third test flight.

As Marcin Sarnowski, a representative of SpaceForest, told PAP, the flight took place as planned. The launch time was announced approximately 40 minutes before the countdown, in line with the company's previous announcements. The flight could be observed from the beach. " During the flight, we managed to test many systems and experiments. We will know all the details soon, " Sarnowski said.

[Mighty-T]

I understand that the launch happened. Waiting for confirmation.

[Moskit]

Rocket launched at 13:50.

No official update yet.

Flight/spectator video published by a local radio station:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STAgtP15PWw

Announced launch goals: testing rocket systems, developing procedures for integrating payloads, suborbital experiments. Some of these experiments are:
- PLUTONIC, alternative (non-GPS) time synchronisation using terrestrial radio signals. Tested up to 23km using baloons, now higher altitudes with Perun
- ThOR, Tremor Observation and Response, testing suborbital flight conditions on various microorganisms and larvae. Key part is Organ-on-Chip, miniature model of bone MG-63 cells.
- RESQ, testing pressure stability of a tactical tourniquet in suborbital conditions
- AstroBucha SCOBY, testing food cultures, long term planning for biospheres
- Toraf Seeds, testing impact of flight on half a million seeds

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Press Release: Successful Third Test Flight of SpaceForest’s PERUN Suborbital Rocket

On November 22, 2025, PERUN Rocket completed its third test flight, marking another significant step towards reaching outer space. The launch proceeded according to plan, and the rocket’s ascent was visible from the beach in Ustka. The operation was executed within the scheduled launch window (13:00–14:00), with preparations taking over seven hours ...

The mission’s objective was to test key systems, validating the solutions implemented in the new PERUN rocket prototype. The obtained results provide valuable data supporting the further development of the technology and bring the company closer to the commercialisation of space transport services and the execution of experiments in genuine space conditions.

During the flight, a number of operational aspects of the PERUN rocket were successfully confirmed, including:

- Demonstration of launch and safety procedures;
- Execution and recovery of scientific experiments;
- Validation of payload integration with the launch vehicle;
- Verification of the Thrust Vector Control (TVC) system;
- Operation of the onboard safety system with immediate mission termination capability;
- Study of physical launch and flight conditions, including vibrations and g-forces (load factors).

Launch 4 is planned for the spring