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Ariane 6
Ariane 6 is a European expendable launch system developed for the European Space Agency (ESA) and manufactured by a consortium of European companies, led by the prime contractor ArianeGroup. As part of the Ariane rocket family, it is operated by Arianespace, replacing the Ariane 5. The project's primary contributors were France (55.3%), Germany (21%) and Italy (7.6%), with the remaining work distributed among ten other participating countries. This two-stage rocket utilizes liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen (hydrolox) engines. The first stage features an upgraded Vulcain engine from Ariane 5, while the second uses the Vinci engine, designed specifically for this rocket. The Ariane 62 variant uses two P120C solid rocket boosters, while Ariane 64 uses four. The P120C booster is shared with Europe's other launch vehicle, and is an improved version of the P80 used on the original Vega. Selected in December 2014 over an all-solid-fuel alternative, Ariane 6 was initially planned ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Guiana Space Centre
The Guiana Space Centre (; CSG), also called Europe's Spaceport, is a spaceport to the northwest of Kourou in French Guiana, an Overseas departments and regions of France, overseas region of France in South America. Kourou is located approximately north of the equator at a latitude of 5°. In operation since 1968, it is a suitable location for a spaceport because of its near equatorial location and open sea to the east and north. At CSG, space launches are conducted by several European private companies and government agencies working together. The CSG land itself is managed by CNES, the French national space agency. The launch infrastructure built on the CSG land is owned by the European Space Agency. The private company Arianespace operates the launches including planning missions, handling customer relationships and overseeing the team at CSG that integrates and prepares vehicles for launch. The rockets themselves are designed and produced by other companies, ArianeGroup f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ariane (rocket Family)
Ariane is a series of European civilian expendable launch vehicles for space launch use. The name comes from the French spelling of the mythological character Ariadne. France first proposed the Ariane project and it was officially agreed upon at the end of 1973 after discussions between France, Germany and the UK. The project was Western Europe's second attempt at developing its own launcher following the unsuccessful Europa project. The Ariane project was code-named L3S (the French abbreviation for third-generation substitution launcher). The European Space Agency (ESA) charged Aérospatiale (whose former assets now form Airbus) with the development of all Ariane launchers and of the testing facilities, while Arianespace handled production, operations and marketing after its creation in 1980. Arianespace launches Ariane rockets from the Guiana Space Centre at Kourou in French Guiana. As a result of the merger in 2000 that founded Airbus, the new corporation's space branch and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vinci (rocket Engine)
Vinci is a restartable, cryogenic, liquid-propellant rocket engine that powers the upper stage of Ariane 6. While development began in 1998 for the planned Ariane 5ME upgrade, funding for that programme shifted in 2014 to prioritize the development of Ariane 6, making Vinci the engine for the new launcher. Overview The Vinci rocket engine is a restartable, upper stage cryogenic engine using the expander cycle and fed with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. Its biggest improvement over the HM7B engine used on the Ariane 5 is the capability of restarting four times. It is the first European expander cycle engine, removing the need for a gas generator to drive the fuel and oxidizer pumps. The expander cycle was found to be the most promising option to achieve higher reliability, higher performance, multiple ignition capability and low recurring cost. The engine features a high-performance hydrogen turbopump, an optimized combustion chamber cooling circuit, and cutting-edge manufac ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vulcain 2
Vulcain is a family of European first stage rocket engines for Ariane 5 and Ariane 6. Its development began in 1988 and the first flight was completed in 1996. The updated version of the engine, Vulcain 2, was first successfully flown in 2005. Both members of the family use liquid oxygen/liquid hydrogen cryogenic fuel. The new version for Ariane 6 is called Vulcain 2.1. History The Vulcain rocket engine is named in French for Vulcan, the ancient Roman god of fire. Its development, carried out by a European partnership, began in 1988 with the Ariane 5 rocket program. It first flew in 1996 powering the ill-fated flight 501 without being the cause of the disaster, and had its first successful flight in 1997 (flight 502). In 2002 the upgraded Vulcain 2 with 20% more thrust first flew on flight 157, although a problem with the engine turned the flight into a failure. The cause was due to flight loads being much higher than expected, as the inquiry board concluded. Subsequently, th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aluminium Powder
Aluminium powder is powdered aluminium. This was originally produced by mechanical means using a stamp mill to create flakes. Subsequently, a process of spraying molten aluminium to create a powder of droplets was developed by E. J. Hall in the 1920s. The resulting powder might then be processed further in a ball mill to flatten it into flakes for use as a coating or pigment. Aluminium powder features low density with high conductivity. Characteristics Powdered aluminium shares many of the physical characteristics of bulk aluminium such as its molecular weight of 26.981538 g mol−1, melting point of 660 °C, and a boiling point of 2460 °C. It combusts at a much faster rate to bulk aluminium, this is due to the fact that the gaps between the particles allow for more air and therefor faster oxidization. Usage * autoclave aerated concrete * cosmetic colourant * fingerprint powder * metallic paint * pyrotechnics (including the M-80 firecracker) * refractory * r ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ammonium Perchlorate
Ammonium perchlorate ("AP") is an inorganic compound with the formula . It is a colorless or white solid that is soluble in water. It is a powerful oxidizer. Combined with a fuel, it can be used as a rocket propellant called ammonium perchlorate composite propellant. Its instability has involved it in accidents such as the PEPCON disaster. Production Ammonium perchlorate (AP) is produced by reaction between ammonia and perchloric acid. This process is the main outlet for the industrial production of perchloric acid. The salt also can be produced by salt metathesis reaction of ammonium salts with sodium perchlorate. This process exploits the relatively low solubility of NH4ClO4, which is about 10% of that for sodium perchlorate.Helmut Vogt, Jan Balej, John E. Bennett, Peter Wintzer, Saeed Akbar Sheikh, Patrizio Gallone "Chlorine Oxides and Chlorine Oxygen Acids" in Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry 2002, Wiley-VCH. AP crystallises as colorless rhombohedra. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hydroxyl-terminated Polybutadiene
Hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) is an oligomer of butadiene terminated at each end with a hydroxyl functional group. It reacts with isocyanates to form polyurethane polymers. HTPB is a translucent liquid with a color similar to wax paper and a viscosity similar to corn syrup. The properties vary because HTPB is a mixture rather than a pure compound, and it is manufactured to meet customers' specific requirements. A typical HTPB is R-45HTLO. This product consists of oligomeric units typically containing 40–50 butadiene molecules bonded together, with each end of the chain terminated with a hydroxyl Hgroup: R-45HTLO has a functionality of 2.4-2.6, which means that there is (approximately) one additional hydroxyl group located along the chain for every two oligomeric units. This provides side-to-side linkage for a stronger cured product. HTPB is usually cured by an addition reaction with di- or poly-isocyanate compounds. Uses Materials production Polyurethanes ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
P120C
The P120C is a solid-fuel rocket motor developed for use as the first stage of the Vega-C launch vehicle and as strap-on boosters for the Ariane 6. It was developed by Europropulsion, a joint venture between Avio and ArianeGroup, for the European Space Agency (ESA). The designation "P120C" reflects key characteristics of the motor: "P" stands for ''poudre'' (French for 'powder'), referencing its solid propellant; "120" denoted the original target of 120 tonnes of propellant (later increased to nearly 142 tonnes); and "C" signifies its ''common'' use across multiple launch systems. As of July 2022, the P120C is the world's largest and most powerful single-piece solid-fuel rocket motor, surpassing the earlier P80FW used on the original Vega launcher. Development and Testing Initially, production of the P120C was planned to be divided between Avio's main facility in Italy and MT Aerospace in Germany. However, in 2018, ESA decided to consolidate production entirely in Italy, wi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ariane Flight VA262
Ariane flight VA262 was the maiden flight of the Ariane 6, carrying a payload, consisting of a mass simulator, plus a number of small CubeSats and other experiments as rideshare payloads. Mission The launch experienced a one-hour delay due to a data acquisition system issue. Despite this, the countdown resumed smoothly, and the rocket lifted off successfully at 19:00 UTC, flying a northeastern trajectory that took it over Europe. During the initial launch, the initial stages, including the two P120C solid rocket boosters and core stage, performed as expected. The upper stage ignited at the T+8-minute mark and performed a ten-minute burn to establish a preliminary orbit. Following a coasting phase, the upper stage reignited at T+56 minutes for a successful 22-second burn, placing it in a circular orbit. Cubesats were deployed according to schedule at this point. However, during the mission's final phase, the auxiliary propulsion system (APU) malfunctioned at T+1 hour and 14 mi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
ELA-4
ELA-4 () is a launch complex at the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana supporting launches of the Ariane 6 program. ELA-4 is located along the Route de l'Espace in the Roche Christine site, between the ELA-3 and ELS launch facilities. The complex is composed of a launch pad with mobile gantry, an horizontal assembly building and a dedicated launch operations building. History CNES was responsible for the construction of the Ariane 6 ground segments including the new launch pad. Earthworks on the launch site began at the end of June 2015 and was completed at the start of 2016. Four platforms were levelled to accommodate the launch pad, the liquid oxygen and hydrogen tanks and the assembly building. Civil engineering works on the flame trench and other buildings began in the summer of 2016 and ended in 2019. The launch facility was inaugurated on 28 September 2021 in presence of most of the 600 workers employed at the site, 75% of which recruited locally. Launch statistics ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vulcan Centaur
Vulcan Centaur is a heavy-lift launch vehicle developed and operated by United Launch Alliance (ULA). It is a two-stage-to-orbit launch vehicle consisting of the Vulcan first stage and the Centaur second stage. Replacing ULA's Atlas V and Delta IV rockets, the Vulcan Centaur is principally designed to meet the needs of the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program, which supports U.S. intelligence agencies and the Defense Department, but ULA believes it will also be able to price missions low enough to attract commercial launches. ULA began development of the new launch vehicle in 2014, primarily to compete with SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and to comply with a Congressional mandate to phase out the use of the Russian-made RD-180 engine that powered the Atlas V. The first launch of the Vulcan Centaur was initially scheduled for 2019 but faced multiple delays due to developmental challenges with its new BE-4 first-stage engine and the Centaur second-stage. The Vulcan Centaur had ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
H3 (rocket)
The H3 rocket is a Japanese expendable launch system. H3 launch vehicles are liquid-propellant rockets with strap-on solid rocket boosters and are launched from Tanegashima Space Center in Japan. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and JAXA are responsible for the design, manufacture, and operation of the H3. The H3 is the world's first rocket to use an Expander cycle, expander bleed cycle for the first stage engine. , the minimum configuration is to carry a payload of up to into Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) for about 5 billion Japanese yen, yen, and the maximum configuration is to carry more than into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO). The H324 variant will deliver more than of payload to Trans-lunar injection, lunar transfer orbit (TLI) and of payload to geostationary transfer orbit (GTO)(∆V=1830 m/s). Development Mitsubishi Heavy Industries supervised the development and manufacture of the H3 rocket's airframe and liquid-fuel engines, while IHI Corporation develop ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
