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Mission
4B equipments were loaded onboard
September 07, 2010 - Constanta
 Today onboard NSSL 281 Constanta were loaded the equipments required for Mission4B. Among these were the new carrier balloon and the helium required for inflation.
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ARCA has a new visual identity, made by Grapefruit
September 06, 2010 - Bucharest
"ARCA does things for the future, so the association's image must also be oriented to the future", explains Stefan Liute, Grapefruit's strategy manager.
"The parnership with Grapefruit helped us to define our branding strategy, the visual identity change being only its visible result", said Dumitru Popescu, ARCA president.
Under the new visual identity, ARCA will have a new attempt to launch the Helen 2 rocket, its objective: to launch the first Romanian space rocket in suborbital flight and the first flight in international Google Lunar XPrize competition.
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Mission
4B preparations complete
September 05, 2010 - Constanta
 The launch will take place very soon. Click on the image to see the simulation of Helen 2 rocket flight from the Black Sea.
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Mission
4B scheduled for October 2010
September 2, 2010 - Ramnicu Valcea
 ARCA
completed the construction of a new helium-filled carrier balloon. Starting
with September 8, the team will start the launch preparations and training
onboard NSSL 281 Constanta Navy ship. Mission 4B is scheduled for the
end of October 2010 from the Black Sea.
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Mission
4 postponed
August 04, 2010 - Constanta
 Today
took place the attempt to launch Mission 4. ARCA team, together with
the launch equipments, were transported on the Black Sea onboard NSSL
281 Constanta ship. The launch procedures were carried out perfectly,
but the helium balloon shell ruptured and the team could no longer continue
with the launch. The next launch attempt will take place in october
2010, after completing construction of a new balloon. Photo gallery
here.
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ARCA
will launch Helen 2 rocket from the Black Sea, between August 3 –
5
August 03, 2010 - Constanta
Launching
Helen 2 rocket, ARCA wants to achieve two objectives:
- launching the first Romanian space rocket in a suborbital flight
- achieving the first flight in Google Lunar X Prize
Helen 2 system overview
Helen 2 is a suborbital system consisting of a helium balloon with 0
pressure, that lifts a two stage rocket vehicle and payload European
Lunar Lander (ELL). The payload is a pressurized capsule that carries
avionics, such as accelerometers, cameras, satellite tracking systems,
GPS, sensors, telemetry equipment, etc.
Flight sequence
The 281 NSSL Constanta ship will carry the ARCA team and the equipments
inside the Black Sea safety zone, in the point of the balloon inflation.
The ascension of the balloon will take about an hour at the altitude
of 14 000 m. During the launch in the center area of safety, the flight
may be canceled by detaching the carrier rocket and its destruction
at the impact with the water at any time necessary.
At that altitude, the vehicle will command the separation and start
the first stage rocket engine. It will run 30s, and accelerate the vehicle
up to speed 420m / s and altitude of 21.000m.
After consumption of the fuel first stage, the second stage will be
switched on and will accelerate the vehicle for another 40s, up to speed
1200 m / s and at altitude of 34.000m. Weightlessness will follow up
on reentry.
From this altitude, the vehicle will climb inertial to an altitude of
80.000m. Follows the reentry into Earth's atmosphere and recovering
the capsule, the stage rocket, the capsule of the balloon equipment
and the balloon itself. All these elements are provided with radio and
satellite-tracking equipment.
Funding
The program of the Helen 2 space rocket was done with exclusively private
funds. Our partners for this Mission 4 are BRD Group Societe Generale
(principal partner) and Rompetrol (assures the logistics for the ships).
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