The Nebula Program consisted of four successive motor iterations (Nebula I, II, III and IV). Nebula is a lating word meaning “fog”, a common weather phenomenon at Lleida-Alguaire airport. Each one was designed to validate new concepts, improve manufacturing methods, and push the limits of in-house solid propulsion technology. Every stage provided valuable data that guided the next generation of development.
The Mission Purpose
Nebula was created to:
- Advance Cosmic Research’s expertise in solid rocket motor design
- Improve combustion efficiency and structural reliability
- Validate simulation tools with real test data
- Optimize manufacturing and assembly processes
- Explore high-thrust motor concepts for future launch vehicles
Nebula I – First Validation Stage
The first Nebula campaign focused on understanding manufacturing tolerances, ignition behaviour, sealing systems and instrumentation integration.
Main findings
- Identified the importance of precise grain geometry
- Improved grain fabrication procedures, implementing ammonium nitrate–aluminium propellant technology for the first time
- Tested thermal behaviour of nozzle and structural components
- Evaluated pressure sensor integration and sealing methods
- Detected opportunities for better insulation and sealing performance
- Confirmed the need for higher-pressure testing to achieve full combustion efficiency
Nebula I laid the foundations for all future developments. It established manufacturing procedures, validating instrumentation, and providing the first experimental data used to characterize and calibrate the propellant combustion models.
After a previous failed test in a previous iteration (Nebula 0), in March and April of 2019, Cosmic Research performed some more static motor tests to evaluate the performance of the Nebula I motor. The test bench included temperature and pressure sensors and a load cell. The Nebula-I is a 1:10 simile of Bondar’s actual otor.
Nebula III – High-Thrust Ambition
Nebula III represented the most ambitious stage of the program: the development of an ultra-high-thrust solid motor intended to become one of the most powerful amateur solid motors in Europe.
Highlights
- Engineered for record-level thrust performance
- Optimized grain geometry developed using newly created in-house design software
- Improved manufacturing through a large capacity pressing system, allowing larger grains and fewer grain segments
- Incorporated lessons learned from Nebula I and II and validated combustion models from previous campaigns
- Designed as the intended propulsion system for the Bondar launch vehicle.
Nebula III marked the transition from experimental prototypes to large-scale propulsion systems. Although the motor did not reach its expected performance levels during testing, the campaign generated valuable data that enabled a comprehensive review of combustion, thermal and structural behavior.
Outcomes
The Nebula Program became a major internal milestone in Cosmic Research propulsion development. Through iterative testing and continuous improvement, it strengthened our capabilities in:
- Solid propulsion engineering
- Thermal and structural analysis
- Test stand operations
- High-thrust motor design
- Data-driven development methodology
Mission Collaborator
Aeroports de Catalunya provided the infrastructure that made the Nebula test campaigns possible. By granting access to suitable testing facilities at Lleida–Alguaire Airport, they enabled the safe execution of static firing tests.