A scientist from Altai State University has developed a project of a rocket capable of dispersing hail clouds and extinguishing fires

The Anti-Hail Rocket project, which was developed by Pavel Piven, an associate professor of the Department of Nature Management and Geoecology of the Institute of Geography of Altai State University, Candidate of Philosophical Sciences, was included in the top 100 of the Strong Ideas for the New Times forum organized by the Agency for Strategic Initiatives (ASI) and the Roscongress Foundation. The results of the forum were summed up in Moscow. More than 23 thousand ideas were uploaded to the crowd platform, more than 100 proposals were submitted from Altai Krai.

The project is more than relevant for Altai Krai, which is a zone of risky farming. Here, especially in the foothills, hail often occurs, causing massive damage to farmland. One of the measures to combat this phenomenon are anti-hail rockets.

Traditional anti-hail rockets are like fireworks – after launch, they reach the desired height, release a reagent, and point to the cloud. A new type of anti-hail rocket is currently being developed all over the world. Their impact on clouds occurs along the entire flight path of the rocket. Mixed fuel with ice-forming agent is used. The particles come into contact with the cloud, and instead of hail, ordinary rain falls. It is also possible to “shift” the precipitation zone so that hail falls, for example, not over a field, but over a desert area.

In Russia, the development of such rockets was carried out by scientists from Perm, Kazan and Nalchik. However, the body and some parts of their model were made of plastic, which melted during the combustion of fuel, which affected the rocket's course. The invention was considered unsuccessful, and the project was frozen.

“The mixed fuel used in this project has proven its effectiveness. And I had an idea that if the work had been done, we had fuel and it was all about the airframe, then a new airframe design could be proposed. I already had developments on gliders, in particular, I received a patent for the invention of a cruise rocket with folding wings of a closed type of variable sweep. I also have a patent for the invention of a highly maneuverable aircraft. I have experience in design, and I have prepared a patent application for an anti-hail rocket (a new airframe and a variant of a dual-mode engine are proposed). After the approval of my application, I will be able to reveal the design features of my invention,” said Pavel Piven.

Such rocket have at least three more applications. The first is to extinguish forest fires. They can become an alternative to aircraft carriers, which are currently used to extinguish fires over large areas. Cloud active rocket technology can provide direct seeding of the required part of the cloud at the required dosage, at the required height and in a short time. A rocket can be launched within minutes of detecting danger. The aviation method of extinguishing, in contrast to the rocket one, requires highly qualified flight personnel, creates a threat to the life of the crew due to high smoke and poor visibility. In addition, the rocket method is much cheaper than the aviation one.

Another area of application is drought control. The effectiveness was proven in 2022 in China during a very severe drought in the Yangtze River basin when the Chinese managed to flood the territory with anti-hail rockets.