World's first Biofuel Rocket STARDUST 1.0
                     WORLD'S FIRST BIOFUEL 
ROCKET STARDUST 1.0
INTRODUCTION
• On January 31, Stardust 1.0 was launched from Loring 
Commerce Centre in Maine, US, a former military base, 
becoming the first commercial space launch powered by 
biofuel, which is non-toxic for the environment as opposed to 
traditionally used rocket fuels.
Source: indianexpress.com
FIRST COMMERCIAL ROCKET LAUNCH 
• The launch marks another historic first since Stardust 1.0 has 
become the first commercial rocket launch for the state located 
in northeastern US.
Source: indianexpress.com
WHAT IS STARDUST 1.0?
• Stardust 1.0 is a launch vehicle suited for student and budget 
payloads. The rocket is 20 feet tall and has a mass of roughly 
250 kg. 
• The rocket can carry a maximum payload mass of 8 kg and 
during its first launch carried three payloads. 
Source: indianexpress.com
CUBESAT PROTOTYPE 
• As per the report the payloads included a cubesat prototype 
built by high school students, a metal alloy designed to lessen 
vibrations, which is developed by Kellogg’s Research Labs and a 
cubesat from software company Rocket Insights.
Source: indianexpress.com
MANUFACTURE
• The rocket is manufactured by bluShift, an aerospace company 
based in Maine that is developing rockets that are powered by 
bio-derived fuels. 
• Stardust 1.0 is being developed by the company since 2014 
when the company was founded by its CEO Sascha Deri.
Source: indianexpress.com
LAUNCH SMALL SATELLITES 
• These rockets will help to launch small satellites called cubesats 
into space in a way that is relatively cheaper than using 
traditional rocket fuel and is less toxic for the environment. 
Source: indianexpress.com
OTHER ROCKETS 
• Other rockets being developed by the company include 
Stardust Gen. 2, Starless Rouge and Red Dwarf, which is a low-
Earth orbit (LEO) vehicle and is designed to fly a maximum 
payload of 30 kg.
Source: indianexpress.com
ACCESS TO SPACE
• Significantly, the accommodation of mini payloads provides 
easier access to space to not only experienced researchers but 
also to students who are part of educational institutions and 
are working to develop their own space programs “for less than 
the price of new football uniforms” as Blue Origin has put it.
Source: indianexpress.com
AMAZON WORKING TOWARDS MAKING ROCKET
• There are other companies working towards making access to 
space easier. 
• One of them is Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’s space company 
called Blue Origin. 
• Last year in October, the company tested a rocket system called 
New Shephard. 
Source: indianexpress.com
COMMERCIAL PARTICIPATION
• Another company founded by British entrepreneur Richard 
Branson called Virgin Galactic signed a Space Act Agreement 
with NASA’s Johnson Space Center in June 2020 to encourage 
commercial participation in orbital human spaceflight to the 
International Space Station (ISS) and help in the development 
of a Low Earth Orbit economy.
Source: indianexpress.com