SpaceForest, a Polish company, is developing PERUN, a reusable, thrust-vector-controlled suborbital rocket powered by a nitrous oxide/paraffin hybrid motor. According to the company, no wind tunnel in Poland could accommodate the rocket’s full size, while typical wind-tunnel speeds fall below PERUN’s flight velocities, making it difficult to obtain aerodynamic coefficients across its full velocity range through physical testing.
Engineers used Ansys Fluent, supported by channel partner Symkom, to calculate these coefficients and study airflow across flight phases, covering stability, control surfaces, payload safety, and aerodynamic heating on components such as the onboard camera housing. PERUN has completed successful test flights carrying research payloads, and SpaceForest aims to extend simulation use toward future orbital missions.
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