Space and Aeronautical Research Agency

Space and Aeronautical Research Agency

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Agency overview
Formed	May 3, 1954 (1954-05-03)
Preceding agencies	Aeronautical Research Bureau Space Exploration Agency
Headquarters	SARA Administration Centre, Pontiac-Bernadotte, Gristol-Serkonos
Motto	Per aspera ad astra (Latin: Through hardships to the stars)
Annual budget	GSC 763.8 billion (USC 5.2 billion) (FY2024)
Minister responsible	Tekakwitha Hawke, Minister of Science and Technology
Agency executives	Laila Aalto, Chief Administrator Veli Pajari, Director of Operations
Parent agency	Office of Science and Technology

The Space and Aeronautical Research Agency is the government department of Gristol-Serkonos responsible for the country's civilian space program as well as aeronautics and aerospace research. Chancellor Adrian Thorne announced the merger of the military Aeronautical Research Bureau and of the civilian Space Exploration Agency. He established SARA as a civilian agency encouraging peaceful applications in space science. The Space and Aeronautics Act of 1952 was passed, merging the two agencies and SARA became operational in May 1954. Since the merger, SARA also collaborates in space exploration efforts with several Ajaxi countries through the Joint Space Agency.

Field Offices

• SARA Administration Centre houses SARA leadership who provide overall guidance and direction to the agency. It also houses production offices for SARA TV, the agency's broadcast network.
• Griswald Space Research Centre is the largest combined organization of scientists and engineers in Gristol-Serkonos dedicated to increasing knowledge of the Earth, the Solar System, and the Universe via observations from space. GSRC is also a major laboratory for developing and operating unmanned scientific spacecraft.
• Royal Jet Propulsion Laboratory is the research facility responsible research, development, and operation of space probes as well as testing experimental aerospace projects. It also houses several rocket testing facilities used by SARA, the private and public companies and agencies.
• Saari Flight Research Centre is SARA's office in which researchers use more than 40 wind tunnels to study improved aircraft and spacecraft safety, performance, and efficiency.
• Konondaigua Aeronautical Research Centre was founded to do wind-tunnel research on the aerodynamics of propeller-driven aircraft; however, it has expanded its role to doing research and technology in aeronautics, spaceflight, and information technology. It provides leadership in astrobiology, small satellites, robotic lunar exploration, intelligent/adaptive systems and thermal protection.
• Hitra Deep Space Communications Facility operates SARA's Deep Space Communications Network.
• Nordskaret Assembly Plant is established in 2008 in order to centralize all manufacturing of space-craft, probes, and rockets used by SARA.

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  Cape Castille Space Centre, SARA's main launch facility

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  A Diana VII active expendable launch system taking off from Cape Castille Space Centre

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  The Royal Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Kruiningen

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  An Egeria III solid-fuel rocket designed for low-cost launches of scientific satellites

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  The Skadi V reusable launch system was joint-development between Morgenroete Aerospace and the Daobac Space Corporation.

Cape Castille Space Centre

Cape Castille Space Centre

Abbreviation	CCSC
Formation	September 11, 1953 (1953-09-11)
Location	RGSAFB Cape Castille, Crown Land of Gristol, Gristol-Serkonos
Owner	Space and Aeronautical Research Agency
Director	Dr. Adélaïde Villeneuve
Deputy Director	Rikard Stenberg
Budget (2024)	GSC 215.5 billion (USC 1.46 billion)

Cape Castille Space Centre is SARA's launch complex located in RGSAFB Cape Castille in the Crown Land of Gristol with a total area of about 9.7 square kilometers. It was established in 1953 by the Aeronautical Research Bureau, a research and development division of the Royal Gristo-Serkonan Air Force. Transfer of responsibility for the portion of RGSAFB Cape Castille was transferred to the newly formed Space and Aeronautical Research Agency in 1954. Following SARA's entry to the Joint Space Agency in 1971, it has also become responsible for launching JSA payloads to polar orbits.

The activities that take place at CCSC include assembly, testing, launching, and tracking satellites, as well as rocket engine firing tests.

Facilities

• Vehicle Assembly Building: Operated by Morgenroete Aerospace's Space Systems division, it is used for assembling pre-manufactured space vehicle components. The Vehicle Assembly Building is capable of assembling two rockets at the same time.
• Cape Castille Launch Complex: Launch facilities for SARA's lift systems. It includes storage and supply facilities for propellants (liquid hydrogen. liquid oxygen, helium and nitrogen) and supply facilities for water and electricity.
  • Cape Castille Launch Complex 1A: Serves as the primary launch site for the Diana VII active expendable launch system.
  • Cape Castille Launch Complex 1B: Opened in 2017 in response to growing launch requests in Cape Castille, it is the primary launch site for the Skadi V medium lift launch system.
  • Cape Castille Launch Complex 1C: Recently opened in 2024, it has become a launch site for the smaller rockets such as Egeria III solid fuel launch system and the Yellowstone Sounding Rockets.
• Pitter Reijnders Range Control Center: The command and control of rocket launch operations for all systems are performed at this facility, including launch vehicles, satellites, ground facilities, tracking and weather systems. It also collects and analyzes information, issues commands, makes adjustments and monitors launch operations for rockets and satellites at Cape Castille.

SARA Astronaut Corps

The SARA Astronaut Corps is a unit of the Space and Aeronautical Research Agency that selects, trains, and provides astronauts as crew members for JSA space missions. The corps currently has six active members. The SARA generally recruits astronauts who have degrees as scientists, engineers and/or medical doctors. In addition to being Gristo-Serkonan citizens or residents, candidates must meet certain physical standards (including height, weight, hearing and visual acuity) as well as educational requirements.

Active astronauts

Astronaut	Missions	Selection Group	Notes
Okwaho Ford	Pioneer 14	SARA Group 2003	Former RGSAF Pilot, Astrophysicist
Tom Kjell	TBD	SARA Group 2003	Former GS Army Doctor, Surgeon
Silvina Antonina	TBD	SARA Group 2007	Former RGSAF Pilot and Mechanical Engineer
Kó:r Thomas-Deer	TBD	SARA Group 2007	Former UGS Pontiac-Bernadotte Lecturer and Aerospace Engineer
Matt Thatcher	TBD	SARA Group 2011	Former UGS Pontiac-Bernadotte Astrophysicist and Physician
Céleste Sasha-Narcisse	TBD	SARA Group 2011	Former RGSN Aviator, Physicist

Launch Systems

The current line of space launch systems utilized by the Space and Aeronautical Research Agency.

Diana VII

Capable of providing launches for up to 19,000 kg payload for low earth orbit and 8,000 kg for geosynchronous transfer orbit, SARA utilizes the Diana VII launch system. It currently has 43 successful launches since its introduction in 2003. Morgenroete Aerospace's Defence, Space, and Security division received a contract to design and manufacture the rocket in 1997. Marklin-Ashton's Rocket Engines Division and SARA also collaborated on the development of the liquid cryogenic rocket engine.

Variants

Designation	Payload to GTO	Payload to LEO	Number of LREs	Addon Modules
Diana VII-S/0	3,970 kg	8,000 kg	First Stage: x3 Type 7 LREs Second Stage: x1 Type 5 LREs	N/A
Diana VII-S/2	4,100 kg	10,000 kg	First Stage: x2 Type 8 LREs Second Stage: x1 Type 5 LREs	x2 Mk-19 Solid Rocket Boosters
Diana VII-LL/2	6,000 kg	15,000 kg	First Stage: x3 Type 8 LREs Second Stage: x1 Type 5 LREs	x2 Mk-19 Solid Rocket Boosters
Diana VII-LH/4	8,000 kg	19,000 kg	First Stage: x3 Type 9 LREs Second Stage: x1 Type 5 LREs	x 4 Mk-19 Solid Rocket Boosters

Skadi V-R

Initially a family of medium-lift expendable launch rockets, Morgenroete Aerospace and Daobac Space Corporation co-developed a partially reusable launch system variant of the Skadi V. The newest variant of the Skadi launch family introduced in 2010, the Skadi V-R variant is capable of launching payloads up to 18,000 kg payload for low earth orbit launches and 8,900 kg for geosynchronous transfer orbit launches. Marklin-Ashton's Rocket Engines Division supplied the liquid cryogenic engines and developed the dual-engine variant of the MA-RED Type 5 and MA-RED Type 7 liquid-propellant rocket engines. A heavy variant of the Skadi V-R was also developed, capable of lifting 24,269 kg payloads to LEO and 11,325 kg payloads to GTO.

Technology developed by Morgenroete Aerospace and the Daobac Space Corporation was utilized in the development of the Phoenix medium-to-heavy launch vehicles.

Designation	Payload to GTO	Payload to LEO	Number of LREs	Addon Modules
Skadi V-R/0	3,775 kg	8,123 kg	First Stage: Type 7 Dual-Engine LREs (Reusable) Second Stage: x1 Type 5 Single-Engine LREs (Expendable)	N/A
Skadi V-R/5	8,900 kg	18,814 kg	First Stage: Type 7 Dual-Engine LREs (Reusable) Second Stage: x1 Type 5 Dual-Engine LREs (Expendable)	x5 Mk-19 Solid Rocket Boosters (Expendable)
Skadi V-R Heavy	11,325 kg	24,269 kg	First Stage: x3 Type 7 Dual-Engine LREs (Reusable Second Stage: x1 Type 5 Dual-Engine LREs (Expendable)	N/A

Egeria III

For scientific missions like X-ray astronomy, SARA uses the Egeria III solid fuel rocket designed for low cost launches. It is capable of carrying a 1,500 kg payload to Low-earth orbit and a 700 kg payload for sun-synchronous orbit.

Yellowstone Sounding Rockets

SARA uses Yellowstone rockets designed to take measurements and perform scientific experiments during its sub-orbital flight. It is capable of lifting a 450-kg payload into the exoatmospheric region between 97 and 201 km.