Julian Moxon/PARIS
THE LAST OF A SERIES of seven tests of the Ariane 5 cryogenic stage was carried out successfully at Kourou, French Guiana, on 27 January. On the same day there were a further two tests of the Vulcain main engine in France and Germany.
"We consider the engine is now qualified," says European Space Agency Ariane 5 chief Jacques Durand.
The tests, known as "battleship" tests, integrated the specially re-inforced cryogenic tanks with the main engine, launch table, and associated computer systems, and have raised confidence in the launch campaign, following earlier problems with the Vulcain's liquid-oxygen turbopump. The maiden flight of the Ariane 5 is scheduled for 29 November.
An intense period of tests, says Durand, will lead to qualification of the cryogenic stage in August. The re-inforced tanks will now be replaced with flight-type examples for a further five or six development tests at Kourou. "We'll be able to carry more fuel on these," he says, "so that we can run the engine for the full 600s instead of 280s we were constrained to with the battleship system." These will be followed by the final three qualification runs, he adds.
The Ariane 5's solid-rocket boosters have been tested five times and will be run twice more before being qualified. The test programme of the storable-propellant second stage is due to be completed this month. A series of assembly trials of all the Ariane 5 components is also under way at Kourou.
Source: Flight International
