Europe's New Ariane 6 Rocket: Upper Stage Hot Fire Test | European Space Agency
On Sept. 1, 2023, the European Space Agency’s all-new Ariane 6 launch vehicle fired its two upper stage engines to simulate the way they will have to operate together at the German aerospace agency’s engine test center in Lampoldshausen, Germany. The test of the new Vinci engine and a smaller Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) took place on a purpose-built test bench.
Vinci, the upper stage engine of Ariane 6, fed by liquid hydrogen and oxygen, can be stopped and restarted multiple times to place satellites into different orbits and then de-orbit the upper stage, so it is not left behind as hazardous space debris.
The APU makes it possible for Vinci to restart in space, by maintaining adequate pressure in the fuel tanks and preventing bubbles in the fuel lines. The power unit uses small amounts of liquid hydrogen and oxygen from the main tanks, replacing a system which relied on large quantities of tanked helium.
Ariane 6 is an all-new design, created to succeed Ariane 5 as Europe's heavy-lift launch system. This autonomous capability to reach Earth orbit and deep space is the foundation of Europe's vision of space-enabled navigation, Earth observation, scientific and security services. This vision is reality thanks to the sustained dedication of thousands of talented people working in the European Space Agency’s 22 Member States who call themselves "Space Team Europe".
The European Space Agency (ESA) owns and manages the Ariane 6 program and defines its performance objectives. ArianeGroup is the prime contractor, and the launch operator is Arianespace. France's space agency, CNES, operates Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana—the home of Ariane launchers since the first liftoff in 1979.
ESA's new Ariane 6 rocket takes up the baton from the Ariane 5, supporting Europe’s institutional missions and is intended to meet the needs of the commercial launch market.
Video Credits: ESA/Arianegroup/DLR - Hill Media
Image Credits: ©ArianeGroup/Frank T. Koch/Hill Media GmbH
Acknowledgement: SciNews
Duration: 2 minutes, 24 seconds
Release Date: Sept. 2, 2023
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