Updates Ariane 6 Updates

Urwumpe

Not funny anymore
Addon Developer
Donator
Joined
Feb 6, 2008
Messages
37,605
Reaction score
2,327
Points
203
Location
Wolfsburg
Preferred Pronouns
Sire
To be more specific: They updated P8 to P8.3. P8 was originally used for testing LH2/LOX engines for Ariane, and now got upgraded to support more powerful engines.

From the permission for the new test stand of last summer, its possible to deduce what kind of engines will be tested there:

The maximum permitted "Feuerungswärmeleistung" according to German emission law is 510 MW, sadly its a German legal term and hard to translate into English. Its the accumulated lower heating value of the hydrogen fuel burned per second. Which allows a bit of cheating since LH2/LOX results in water vapor and the vaporization energy of the water vapor produced can be added to the limit to calculate how much hydrogen can be burned every second... but how this is exactly calculated exceeds my knowledge:

I suspect, you can subtract about 2.2 MJ/kg from the 199 MJ/kg LHV of hydrogen to get the hydrogen mass flow allowed: 4 kg/s, total mass flow is thus 5.7 times higher, about 25 kg/s. That means about 110 kN of thrust in that case. (I likely got this wrong, since the Vinci engine has 180 kN... again, German laws are complex there)

Will be tested twice between 6:00 and 22:00 on 2.5 days in a week, for maximal 80 second of burn for large engines and maximal 3 hours of flare stack operation during each test...
 
Last edited:

Thunder Chicken

Fine Threads since 2008
Donator
Joined
Mar 22, 2008
Messages
4,348
Reaction score
3,273
Points
138
Location
Massachusetts
It seems to me that the SSME (RS-25) always worked like that. During Shuttle launches, you have those "spark igniters" that fire right under the nozzles.


The spark igniters were to simply prevent hydrogen build-up on the pad during start up. They did not ignite the engines. Each SSME had two redundant augmented spark igniters (essentially spark plugs) each for the main chamber and preburners.
 

Notebook

Addon Developer
Addon Developer
News Reporter
Donator
Joined
Nov 20, 2007
Messages
11,815
Reaction score
640
Points
188
29 July 2019
At Europe’s Spaceport the Ariane 6 mobile gantry, a 90 metre-high metallic structure built to house Ariane 6 underwent a 97 m roll-out test last week to mimic prelaunch.
When fully equipped, this mobile gantry will weigh 8200 tonnes – more than a thousand tonnes heavier than France's Eiffel Tower. Its platforms provide access to the launch vehicle for integration on the launch pad. It protects Ariane 6 until its doors are opened and it is retracted about five hours before the launch.

http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Transportation/First_roll-out_of_Ariane_6_mobile_gantry
 

Notebook

Addon Developer
Addon Developer
News Reporter
Donator
Joined
Nov 20, 2007
Messages
11,815
Reaction score
640
Points
188
Title Ariane 6 launch complex - September 2019
Released: 25/09/2019
Length 00:02:05
Language English
Footage Type Music Clip
Copyright CNES/ESA
Description
Things are shaping up at Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana in preparation for Ariane 6. Take a tour of the launch complex and its various facilities. Recent tests have used mock-ups of the P120C boosters to trial how they will be transported. See them on the launch pad, and get a sense of scale for Ariane 6.

http://www.esa.int/spaceinvideos/Videos/2019/09/Ariane_6_launch_complex_-_September_2019
 

Notebook

Addon Developer
Addon Developer
News Reporter
Donator
Joined
Nov 20, 2007
Messages
11,815
Reaction score
640
Points
188
 

Urwumpe

Not funny anymore
Addon Developer
Donator
Joined
Feb 6, 2008
Messages
37,605
Reaction score
2,327
Points
203
Location
Wolfsburg
Preferred Pronouns
Sire
On Thursday, ESA will stream a hot fire test, on 20:10 GMT.

 

Urwumpe

Not funny anymore
Addon Developer
Donator
Joined
Feb 6, 2008
Messages
37,605
Reaction score
2,327
Points
203
Location
Wolfsburg
Preferred Pronouns
Sire
The webcast is on ESA Web TV 2, 8 minutes to ignition, all looks nominal.


Alternative link directly to youtube:

 
Last edited:

Urwumpe

Not funny anymore
Addon Developer
Donator
Joined
Feb 6, 2008
Messages
37,605
Reaction score
2,327
Points
203
Location
Wolfsburg
Preferred Pronouns
Sire
Synchronized sequence has started, the onboard computer has assumed control over the rocket.

Almost missed the gimbal check before they returned to the nozzle view
 
Top