Hot Fire 3

August 2026

DanSTAR has completed its third hot fire campaign as part of Project Parhelion.

With the completion of this hot fire, we can now shift our attention to the assembly of the rocket ready for static fire testing next month. This weekend also gave us the opportunity to invite our partners and sponsors, allowing us to finally show them just what their support has allowed us to accomplish.

Each test we complete brings us one step closer to launch. 

Hot Fire 2

April 2026

A month after its last ignition, Parhelion's engine has fired up once again.

Whilst these tests were similar in structure to the ones from March, several key improvements have been made allowing for more data to be gathered. This weekend saw DanSTAR increase its ignition cadence to nearly once per hour, highlighting how efficient the team and our systems have become. 

The team now has its sights set on final refinements to the system ready for the final assembly of the rocket. DanSTAR plans to be ready for static fire testing in the late summer. 

Hot Fire

March 2026

DanSTAR has successfully lit its rocket engine for the first time in three years!

Over the past two weekends, the team conducted a series of hot fire tests of our engine for our upcoming rocket, Parhelion. The team validated propellant flow rates, confirmed all valves operated as intended, and demonstrated a reliable, well-integrated feed system. The data gathered gives us a deeper understanding of the engine’s performance and confirms its ability to operate under real conditions.

Cold Flow

February 2026

This past month, the team completed their first big milestone in the Parhelion timeline. Cold flow ensures that the critical subsystems like the test stand structure, piping, and electronics function as required.

This test involved moving the test stand outside, filling the tanks with water and pressurising them, before running the system as if we were firing the engine (minus the fire). The test was successful and the team is now preparing for our first hot fire.

Parhelion Begins

November 2025

DanSTAR has decided to begin their newest rocket project named Parhelion. This comes after the team decided to end Project Fornax in order to give the current generation of DanSTAR members a project that is entirely theirs. The research and development that went into Project Fornax will be transferred over to Parhelion. The team is excited to start this project and can't wait until testing begins.