Draft:Commercial EcoRocket

The Commercial EcoRocket is a series of cost effective rockets for civilian and military applications, including target rockets and antiballistic interceptors. The program is developed by ARCA Space and General Astronautics.

The CER series comprises seven vehicles: CER160, CER500, CER1200, MIRTV, RTV, A1A and A1B. Each of these vehicles is designed with specific capabilities and applications in mind, catering to a diverse range of needs in the field of space exploration and research.

CER-160.
The CER-160 is an ecological, cost-effective rocket designed for civilian applications such as scientific research and recreational activities. Unlike most present-day rockets, the CER-160 uses a non-flammable, non-explosive mixture of water and hydrogen peroxide at a 30-70 ratio, making it environmentally friendly, simple to operate, and cost-effective.

The rocket employs no electronics and has just a single valve for engine start, requiring no prior aerospace training. An important advantage of this liquid-fueled rocket over solid propellant rockets is that the altitude can be set prior to launch depending on the liquid propellant mass that the user will put in the tank.

The CER-160 has a diameter of 0.16m, a length of 7.5m, and a launch weight of 125kg. It can reach an altitude of 20km and a speed of Mach 1.9, with a payload weight of 3kg. The rocket launches from a canister with a diameter of 0.7m and is 9.6m tall. The propellant for the CER-160 rocket is commercially available everywhere in the world.

The CER-160 is part of a series of non-offensive target vehicles developed by ARCA, a company that is currently developing its first military application products. The CER-160TR, a similar version of the CER-160, is currently under military homologation for two European military forces.

More photos of the test flight.

This vehicle performed a launch test in November 9, 2023, in order to validate the launch procedure and the launch sequence involving the canister and the actual launch vehicle. Analysis about the test are shown here and videos of the launch here.

3D Model of the CER-160/CER-160TR Vehicle

CER-500
The CER-500 is an ecological, cost-effective rocket designed for both civilian and military applications. It uses a non-flammable and non-explosive propellant, a mixture of water and hydrogen peroxide at a 30-70 ratio, making it environmentally friendly, simple to operate, and cost-effective. The rocket employs no electronics and has just a single valve for engine start, requiring no prior aerospace training.

The CER-500 has a diameter of 0.5m, a length of 10m, and a launch weight of 1,600kg. It can reach an altitude of 30km and a speed of Mach 2.1, with a payload weight of 100kg. The rocket launches from a canister with a diameter of 2m and is 12m tall.

The CER-500 is part of the Commercial EcoRocket series developed by ARCA’s EcoRocket. It is designed for high altitude scientific and recreational applications, as well as serving as a booster and first stage for suborbital rockets. Orders for the CER-500 system will be available starting from July 2024.

CER-1200
The CER-1200 is an innovative rocket designed for civilian use, including scientific research and recreational applications. It can also serve as a booster and first stage for both suborbital and orbital launchers.

One of the key features of the CER-1200 is its ecological and cost-effective design. Unlike most present-day rockets, the CER-1200 uses a non-flammable, non-explosive propellant, which is a mixture of water and hydrogen peroxide at a 30-70 ratio. This makes it benign for the environment, simple, and cost-effective. A 50-50 water and hydrogen peroxide mixture is also an option, although this would result in a loss of flight performance.

The CER-1200 is user-friendly and does not require prior aerospace training to operate1. It has no electronics and only a single valve for engine start1. An important advantage of this rocket over solid propellant rockets is that the altitude and speed can be set prior to launch depending on the liquid propellant mass that the user puts in the tank.

In terms of technical characteristics, the CER-1200 has a diameter of 1.2 m, a length of 14.6 m, and a dry weight of 300 kg. It can carry a payload weight of 1,000 kg. The launch weight is 11,300 kg, and the engine run time is 60 seconds. With maximum payload, it can reach an altitude of 40 km and a speed of Mach 2.6.

The CER-1200 launches from a canister that has a diameter of 2.4 m and is 16 m tall. The propellant transfer pump is a stainless steel, hydrogen peroxide compatible pump able to transfer the 8,000 litres mixture of water and hydrogen peroxide into the CER-1200 tank.

The CER-1200 rocket propellant is commercially available everywhere in the world, sold as hydrogen peroxide 70% concentration. The user must procure locally 10,000kg of 70% concentration hydrogen peroxide in order to fuel the rocket for launch. After the rocket is fuelled, the tank must be pressurised at a pressure of 14 bar, prior to launch.

The price of the CER-1200 rocket is €199,900. Orders for the CER-1200 system will be available starting with November 2024. The shipment will be made in standardised, 12m long containers.

The CEO of the company, Dumitru Popescu, has also written an article about the CER Vehicles.

An event took place at the Cosmobase (ARCA's testing facility) in July 2023, where 4 CER-1200 Vehicles were presented.

This vehicle is the backbone of ARCA's reusable EcoRocket Heavy prototype, which can launch 24 tons to LEO, and for their Universal Propulsion Module (UPM). With the EcoRocket Heavy, ARCA wants to mine asteroids

Target rockets
These rockets are made for military purposes but have the same technical characteristics and performances as the CER vehicles. The rockets are the same but have different names:

CER-160 - CER160TR

CER-500 - CER500TR

CER-1200 - CER1200TR

News
ARCA Space and General Aeronautics have a news page on CER's website where all the important events are shown.

CER-1200RTV
The CER-1200RTV is a rocket system designed to simulate hypersonic Reentry Vehicles (RVs) deployed by ballistic missiles. The purpose of the CER-1200RTV is to allow anti-ballistic systems to intercept and destroy the vehicle during trainings. This cost-effective system increases the training capabilities of anti-ballistic crews, preparing them to better deal with real-life scenarios.

The Reentry Target Vehicle (RTV) and its booster are launched with a CER-1200RTV rocket. The RTV uses a non-flammable, non-explosive propellant, a mixture of water and hydrogen peroxide at a 30-70 ratio. This makes it benign for the environment, simple, and cost-effective. A mixture of 50-50 water and hydrogen peroxide is also an option, but with flight performance loss.

The RTV employs no electronics, and it has just a single valve for the vehicle spin and engine start, after separation from the transport vehicle. The degree of radar visibility of the RTV can be controlled from the production phase, ranging from very low visibility to high radar visibility .In terms of technical characteristics, the RTV has a diameter of 0.46 m, a length of 1.46 m, and a dry weight of 100 kg. It has a propellant weight of 500 kg and a launch weight of 700 kg. The maximum speed it can reach is Mach 6.6.

The RTV rocket propellant is a mixture of water and hydrogen peroxide in the 30-70 ratio. The user must procure locally 80 kg of 70% concentration hydrogen peroxide in order to fuel the vehicle for launch. After the rocket is fuelled, the tank must be pressurised at a pressure of 14 bar, prior to launch.

The price of the RTV is €9,900, and the booster is €39,900. Orders for the RTV system will be available starting with September 2024.

More photos of the RTV Vehicle.

This vehicle performed a drop test in October 4, 2023, in order to test the vehicle's flight stability at low dynamic pressure, without using the spin stabilization system. Analysis about the test are shown here.

CER-1200MIRTV
The CER-1200MIRTV is a Multiple Independent Reentry Target Vehicle (MIRTV) designed to actively simulate the terminal flight of a nuclear or conventional MIRV launched by ballistic missiles. The MIRTV is launched by the CER-1200MIRTV rocket and it has a launch weight of 1,000kg, including the booster, which accelerates the MIRTV during descent to speeds up to Mach 4.4. The booster is also able to deliver just one hypersonic Reentry Vehicle (RV) with a reentry speed of Mach 6.6.

Both vehicles are designed to serve as targets for the training of antiballistic forces using various interception hardware such as the US made MIM-104 Patriot, Russian made S-300/400/500 and Israeli made Arrow 2 and David’s Sling. They are part of a series of non-offensive target vehicles developed by ARCA, a company that is currently developing its first military application products. The testing for the RTV continues at ARCA as the system is going to hit the market in September 2024.

More photos of the MIRTV Vehicle

A1A
The A1A interceptor is designed to execute interceptions at extremely low altitudes (100–200m) to combat ground and underground detonations of conventional and nuclear warheads. It contains up to 2,000,000 pellets, chaff, and flare. The pellets act as kinetic projectiles, while the chaff and flare aim to distract the incoming missiles. The estimated impact energy of one pellet deployed by the A1A is between 25–130kJ in the case of an ICBM deployed MIRV, or 12–100kJ in the case of a hypersonic missile. The vehicle has a height of 11.4 meters and a diameter of 1.2 meters. The Interceptor launches from a canister which is 13 meters tall and has a diameter of 2.4 meters.

A1B
The A1B interceptor executes interceptions at low altitudes (1,000–2,000m) to combat air burst warheads of conventional and nuclear warheads1. It contains up to 20,000,000 pellets. Because the A1B needs to defend a larger area, and is deployed at a higher altitude where the target travels at higher speeds, the pellets are significantly smaller than those used with the A1A. The estimated impact energy of one pellet deployed by the A1B is between 1.5–5kJ in the case of an ICBM deployed MIRV, or 0.4–2.6kJ in the case of a hypersonic missile.

Both interceptors are single-stage, liquid fuel rockets using IRST detection and existing air defense radar detection capabilities. The rocket derives from ARCA’s EcoRocket Universal Propulsion Module (UPM). The engine’s exhaust gases are only water vapors and oxygen, at temperatures of 80oC. This makes the interceptor immune to IR tracking, while allowing the launch from the DA center with minimal impact on the surrounding assets and personnel. The interceptors are built entirely from composite materials that are radio transparent, and therefore have a low radar signature.

The A1A and A1B can work individually or in conjunction, creating a layered defense system. This option is required by the Defended Area (DA) type featuring underground or surface assets, which determine the incoming missile warhead detonation height, at ground or underground level, or air burst. Another criterion for choosing between A1 version over a DA is the incoming threat type, conventional or nuclear.

The A1 interceptors have no onboard electronics, and the whole firing sequence and flight is performed via electromechanical systems. This makes it virtually immune to electronic warfare action. Also, salvos of A1 interceptors could be fired to increase the kill and deception probability. The A1 will work in conjunction with higher altitude anti-missile defense systems and could even use their detection and tracking capabilities for a higher range detection, even with no hardware interaction between these systems.

As the A1 is launched from the center of the defended area, it is equipped with its own recovery parachute, for safety and reusability purposes1. A1 operators can thus ship their interceptors back to General Astronautics for technical check-ups and warhead refits, generating significantly cost reductions when compared to the purchase of a brand new unit. The vehicle has a height of 12 meters and a diameter of 1.2 meters. The Interceptor launches from a canister which is 13 meters tall and has a diameter of 2.4 meters.

The A1 Deployment method is not an original one. During the 1970’s and the 1980’s it was proposed as an option to defend the LGM-118 Peacekeeper ICBM silos as part of the “Star Wars”/SDI initiative.

Targets compatible with the A1 Interceptor

 * 1) Ballistic Missiles: The A1 Interceptor is designed to defend against various types of ballistic missiles, including Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs), Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missiles (SLBMs), Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missiles (IRBMs), and Medium-Range Ballistic Missiles (MRBMs).
 * 2) Hypersonic and Supersonic Guided Missiles: The A1 Interceptor is also designed to intercept hypersonic and supersonic guided missiles.
 * 3) Multiple Independently-targetable Reentry Vehicles (MIRVs) and Reentry Vehicles (RVs): The A1 Interceptor is capable of engaging at low altitudes, nuclear and conventional MIRVs and RVs deployed by ICBM, SLBM, IRBM, MRBM.
 * 4) Short-Range Ballistic Missiles/Tactical Ballistic Missiles (SRBM/TBM): The A1 Interceptor is also designed to intercept SRBM/TBM1.
 * 5) Ground and Underground Detonations of Conventional and Nuclear Warheads: The A1A version of the interceptor executes interceptions at extremely low altitudes (100–200m) to combat ground and underground detonations of conventional and nuclear warheads.
 * 6) Air Burst Warheads of Conventional and Nuclear Warheads: The A1B version of the interceptor executes interceptions at low altitudes (1,000–2,000m) to combat air burst warheads of conventional and nuclear warheads

Partnership Program

 * 1) Technical Development (Tier 1): Participants can influence warhead configuration, mass optimization, propellant efficiency, and integration of local detection systems.
 * 2) Deployment Architecture (Tiers 1 & 2): Participants can influence silo design, deployment patterns, layered defense creation, and engagement tactics based on local needs and threats.
 * 3) Testing Phase (Tiers 1, 2 & 3): Participants can participate in various tests at ARCA’s facilities, including rocket engine tests, propellant tanks tests, warhead deployment tests, canister integration tests, and avionics and target detection system tests.
 * 4) Interception Testing (Tiers 1, 2, 3 & 4): Participants can participate in the interception tests for both the A1A and A1B systems.
 * 5) Parts Fabrication (Tiers 1, 2, 3 & 4): Participants can locally manufacture a percentage of A1 system components that will be integrated into their interceptors. The percentage varies from 40% for Tier 1 to 10% for Tier 4.
 * 6) First Ten Squadrons Purchase Discount (Tiers 1, 2, 3 & 4): Participants will benefit from discounts for their first ten purchased A1 squadrons, ranging from 20% for Tier 1 to 5% for Tier 4. These discounts are in addition to any large order discounts and a 10% discount if the purchase is made using ARCA’s AMiE crypto token.
 * 7) Tier purchase cost: Tier 1 - EUR 4,000,000  Tier 2 - EUR 3,000,000  Tier 3 - EUR 2,000,000  Tier 4 - EUR 1,000,000

3D Model of both the A1A and A1B Vehicles

Interest from armed forces to acquire the A1 Strategic Anti-ballistic Interceptor
On 29 February, on Telegram, they also said that they have started to negotiate with four armed sources from Europe and Asia in regard to the acquisition of the A1 strategic Anti-ballistic Interceptor. Then, almost a month later, they announced that they have completed the first stage of cooperation procedure with a European Military for the development of the A1 strategic anti-ballistic missile interceptor. 2 days later, they announced another costumer, a NATO allied country from the Gulf Region, to cooperate in their A1 Partnership Program. Almost 2 weeks later, on 12 April, another European Military expressed it’s interest to participate in the A1 anti-ballistic missile interceptor Partnership Program

INTERCEPTOR Video Series
ARCA has also started filming their INTERCEPTOR video series. These series are avalible on patreon for 99$. The entire series contain 50 episodes.


 * 1) -The first episode is already filmed and has a duration of 50:28 minutes

-Here are the previews for this episode: Preview 1 ; Preview 2 ; Preview 3

Operational dates
The civilian and military vehicles are set to start service throughout 2024:

CER-160/CER160TR - March 2024

CER-500/CER500TR- July 2024

CER-1200/CER1200TR - November 2024

RTV/MIRTV - September 2024

A1A/A1B - December 2024