Copernicus Sust

FIRST EVIDENCE

Nicolaus 1

Make the first 100 km the foundation for everything that follows.

The concept for Copernicus Sust’s first-generation vehicle, designed for fully uncrewed flight. No flight hardware exists yet. One flight plan will test reaching a maximum altitude of at least 100 km, transmitting flight data to the ground while storing it onboard, splashing down in an ocean area to be chosen through a future review, and recovering the vehicle.

  • Mission Requirements V0.1
  • S01–S04 Not Evaluated
  • Flight Hardware Not Implemented
  • Dangerous hardware work: Hold
Exterior concept of the slender white Nicolaus 1 in a bright studio setting, with a small orange band on the body and four fins at the base.
Nicolaus 1 · Exterior concept※1
Generation
First generation
Underside engines
The underside layout design target is one central engine
Payload
Non-separating internal measurement unit
Flight target
Target maximum altitude of at least 100 kilometers. No flight attempt has taken place.

Nicolaus 1

A closer look

One engine. At the center.

Nicolaus 1 is planned around one engine at the center of its underside. Explore the black exterior on its own, then see how it sits within the vehicle.

Engine count · design target
1 engine
Position
Underside center

Exterior CG. Engine type, thrust, propellant and dimensions remain undecided.

CG of the complete short black Nicolaus 1 engine exterior, isolated with its circular opening and outer edges fully in view.

01 of 3: Engine

Vehicle design · Exterior CG

Explore in 3D

Explore the vehicle
yourself.

Use the bar below to move smoothly between front, side, rear and underside views. Reset in the upper-right corner returns to the front. This concept 3D model illustrates the vehicle configuration.※2

Nicolaus 1 — Concept 3DChoose a view below · Reset to the front view
Nicolaus 1 exterior concept in a bright studio setting. Not flight hardware.3D loads as you approach this view

Exterior concept · Not CAD or flight hardware · 3D exterior not approved

Underside exterior concept of Nicolaus 1 in a bright studio setting, showing one central engine.
Underside concept · Design target

Underside · Nicolaus 1

One continuous form, down to the base.

A view from below of the single central engine arrangement, showing the current vehicle design.

Engine layout

Layout design target: one central engine

Main propulsion section · One central engine

Schematic · Not to physical scale
Nicolaus 1 underside engine layoutMain propulsion section · One central engine. This is a design target and not a drawing of physical dimensions.

Layout schematic · Design target※3

Flight sequence

From the start of flight through recovery.

  1. 01Target a maximum altitude of at least 100 km with a single-stage, fully uncrewed vehicle
  2. 02Transmit flight data to the ground and store it onboard
  3. 03Descend without propulsion after maximum altitude and decelerate using a method defined and reviewed before flight
  4. 04Splash down in an ocean area selected through a future review, then locate and recover the vehicle itself

What must be proven

Four conditions for complete success.

  • Confirm at least 100 km using multiple predefined measurements
  • Confirm both ground transmission and onboard storage
  • Confirm that the ocean splashdown meets predefined acceptance criteria
  • Locate and recover the vehicle itself

Open decisions

What is still undecided.

  • Vehicle specifications: dimensions, mass, structure, propulsion, and fuel
  • Flight systems: guidance, navigation and control (GNC), abort, descent, and recovery
  • Launch conditions: trajectory, ocean area, weather, and launch site
  • Measurement-unit mass, dimensions, and configuration
  • Quantitative success criteria and data review
  • Legal requirements, permits, insurance, responsible authorities, and operating structure

The current plan

Design and verification.
That is where we are today.

Numbers are design targets. Flight hardware has not been built or flown.※4

View current progress

Next

Master Plan

View the plan

Notes

  1. ※1
    Images visualize the vehicle design; they are not CAD or manufacturing specifications.
  2. ※2
    The concept 3D model is not an approved publication image, CAD model, structural analysis, or flight design.
  3. ※3
    Underside · One central engine is a layout design target. The engine layout is a schematic based on the current design target. It explains the number and arrangement of engines; it does not demonstrate thrust, fuel, dimensions, combustion performance, or flight suitability.
  4. ※4
    This page is not a performance guarantee, a declaration of flight readiness, an offer for sale, a reservation offering, or an investment solicitation.