Verge Science

Test firing a new rocket engine (and watching it explode)

With the rise of tiny satellites, or cubesats, there’s a growing need for smaller rockets that can take miniature satellites into space. One rocket startup, Launcher, is joining the revolution with just four employees in a quiet corner of Long Island. They’re building an all-new rocket engine, and if it passes its test fires, it’ll pave the way for Launcher’s first rocket flights. We visited Launcher HQ to witness one of those pivotal tests.