Aeronautics and Cosmonautics Romanian Association (ARCA)

Aeronautics and Cosmonautics Romanian Association (ARCA) is a non-governmental organization, that promotes innovative aerospace projects located in Valcea County. ARCA joined the Ansari X Prize Competition in 2002 and since then it became one of the leading teams. ARCA developed two main projects: the Demonstrator rockets and STABILO. Demonstrator 2B rocket, equipped with world first composite materials reusable monopropellant engine ever to fly, was successfully launched on September 9, 2004 from the Cape Midia Air Force Launch Site on the Black Sea shore. STABILO, a two stages manned suborbital air launched vehicle completed three flights until now. The first stage is world largest Solar Montgolfier balloon and the second stage is a rocket powered manned spaceship. First low altitude flights of Stabilo were completed in 2006. In the same year, Mission1 was completed at an altitude of 14.700 m. In 2007 Stabilo’s Mission2 was launched at an altitude of 12.000 m above the Black Sea. The team received flight data via a communication satellite. The landing point was located at 30km (16.2miles) from the launch site. The Navy recovered the vehicle, the recovery ship being guided from ARCA’s Command Center.