MELBOURNE – NextAero recently collaborated with the Victorian Rocketry Association (VRA) to test fire the largest amateur-built rocket in Australia. Standing at 6 meters tall, the rocket is powered by a 5 kN (500 kg) hybrid engine, designed to reach the Kármán line at 100 km altitude—the recognized boundary of space.

The rocket represents an impressive feat of engineering and organization by senior VRA members, who took charge of designing, fabricating, assembling, and testing nearly all of the vehicle’s components. “The vehicle is well-designed and constructed,” said Andy Hume-Laver, a senior engineer at NextAero. “It’s been a privilege to help design and build the static test stand, enabling us to test their vehicle.”

NextAero supported the VRA by designing and constructing a static test stand to securely hold the rocket vertically during engine tests. “This was a short but exciting project, allowing us to collaborate with the VRA and work with larger thrust scales,” said Andy. “The thrust stand is built with large structural steel components and pins, ensuring strength while remaining portable. We utilized linear rails and load cells to accurately measure the rocket’s thrust force. The stand is anchored by several tonnes of concrete blocks, providing a significant safety margin when the engine fires.”

NextAero provided the frame and calibrated thrust measurement, while the VRA managed propellant loading and vehicle operation. The hybrid rocket engine uses nitrous oxide as the oxidizer and a solid propellant grain as the fuel. Nitrous oxide is fed into the vehicle as a liquid over about half an hour. Once the vehicle is full, it builds pressure, pushing the liquid nitrous into the combustion chamber at high pressure, where it combusts with the solid fuel, generating substantial thrust.

Upon ignition, the rocket produced a significant plume, complete with shock cells. Unfortunately, the dust cloud generated partially obscured some of the cameras recording the event.

NextAero’s CEO, Dr. Graham Bell, witnessed the test fire. “The rocket generated the expected thrust, and the specific impulse figures closely matched the VRA’s design calculations—a testament to the skill of their senior members,” said Dr. Bell. “We were pleased to support the VRA in achieving this milestone, and we look forward to seeing the rocket attempt to reach space.”

The test was conducted safely and successfully at NextAero’s volatile test facility in central Victoria.