Full scale development of advanced expander cycle thrust chambers

Abstract

In the frame of the upgrade of ARIANE 5 two new cryogenic upper stages are under development in order to cope with the market's needs in terms of increased payload capacity and reduced launch cost. Astrium GmbH, Space Infrastructure Division (former DaimlerChrysler Aerospace, Dasa) is fully involved in the development of these two new stages, ESC-A and ESC-B, as well for the stage system, as in the development of the new cryogenic upper stage expander cycle engine VINCI. In this engine development program headed by SNECMA Moteurs, France, as prime contractor, Astrium Space Infrastructure's Business Unit Propulsion, located in Ottobrunn, south of Munich, Germany, is fully entrusted with the development of the VINCI-Thrust Chamber Assembly system (TCA). The VINCI Expander Cycle engine and its Thrust Chamber assembly is the World Champion for expander cycle engines in terms of thermal power and combustion pressure. Thus the technologies used for development, design and manufacturing have to answer the related high level requirements posed on the developers. Most of these technologies representing the rim of state of the art, respectively being already outside of it, advanced methods in engineering, analysis and manufacturing need to be established, validated and applied in parallel to the Thrust Chamber Development Program. Astrium has initiated and performed several national and company funded technology programs in order to prepare the necessary methods and tools and has also cooperated with its' European partners, e.g. STORK Product Project Manager VINCI Thrust Chamber ' Systems Engineering Manager VINCI Thrust Chamber Project Engineer, VINCI Thrust Chamber, Subcontract Management § Project Manager Ignition Systems Copyright 2001 © by ASTRIUM GmbH. Published by American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc., with permission. 1 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (c)2001 American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics or Published with Permission of Author(s) and/or Author(s)' Sponsoring Organization.