Fwd: ESA Settles on Ariane 6 Configuration

Sent from my iPad

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Gary Johnson" <gjohnson144@comcast.net>
Date: July 11, 2013 9:14:18 PM GMT-06:00
To: "Gary Johnson" <gjohnson144@comcast.net>
Subject: FW: ESA Settles on Ariane 6 Configuration

Interesting that they are going to solids for first and second stage.

Gary

 

 

Artist's view of Ariane 6

9 July 2013

In November 2012, European Ministers responsible for space, meeting in Naples, Italy, approved the start of preparatory activities for Europe's next-generation Ariane 6 launch vehicle. 

The objective of Ariane 6 is to maintain guaranteed autonomous access to space for Europe, while minimising exploitation costs and suppressing any support to exploitation.

The performance requested for the new launch vehicle was 3–6.5 tonnes in equivalent geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), to cover both governmental and commercial needs. The general configuration retained was 'PPH' – indicating the sequence of stages using solid propulsion, solid propulsion and cryogenic propulsion.

Ministers also requested that the new launch vehicle exploits maximum commonalities with the cryogenic reignitable upper stage of Ariane 5 ME.

Seven months after ESA's Ministerial Council decision, the project team of ESA, supported by CNES, has endorsed the final concept proposed by industry for the vehicle that will become Europe's workhorse for reaching space in the 2020s and beyond.

This concept was selected after six months of trade-off studies done by a 'plateau projet' integrating industrial teams (Astrium, Avio, Herakles and the participation of Safran, MT Aerospace and others) working under ESA contract, consistent with Ministerial decisions mentioned above.

The choice of configuration was made by consensus and based on the following main criteria: exploitation costs, time to market and development costs.

Ariane 6 will benefit from the advances by European industry in solid and cryogenic propulsion, structures, systems, avionics, ground segment and operations through the Ariane and Vega programmes.

'Multi P linear' concept

The selected 'Multi P linear' concept is based on a lower 'composite' of four motors, each loaded with around 135 tonnes of solid propellant, providing also synergies with the Vega evolution perspectives. An "in-line" arrangement of three will serve as the first stage, while the fourth will be mounted above as the second stage.

The third stage will be an adapted version of the Ariane 5 ME upper stage, equipped with the Vinci engine and specific propellant tanks.

The 5.4 m-diameter payload fairing will be able to accommodate the same volume of satellites as Ariane 5.

The next step will be for ESA to consult with industry to gather competing ideas on key work packages of the new launch system. Industry will have maximum flexibility for meeting the requirements.

Consolidation of the current Phase A will take place at the Preliminary Requirements Review (PRR) in October 2013.

Decisions taken by the ESA Council at Ministerial level in November 2012 are being implemented strictly and timely. 

 

Copyright 2000 - 2013 © European Space Agency. All rights reserved.

 

===============================================================

 

 

 

ESA Chooses Solid-Fueled Cluster Design for Ariane 6

By Amy Svitak svitak@aviationweek.com

Source: AWIN First

 

July 09, 2013

The European Space Agency (ESA) has settled on the basic design of the Ariane 6, the next-generation launch vehicle that will succeed Europe's heavy-lift Ariane 5.

Known as the "Multi P Linear" concept, the launch vehicle will comprise four solid-fueled boosters that make up the rocket's first and second stages, topped by a cryogenic third stage based on the Vinci engine, which is being developed by the Snecma motors division of France's Safran as part of a midlife upgrade to the current Ariane 5, known as Ariane 5ME.

ESA says it expects the rocket to loft 3,000-6,500 kg (6,600-14,000 lb.) to geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) — 500 kg less than French space agency CNES had targeted earlier this year, after ministers from ESA's 20 member states approved funding for early design work on the rocket at a November 2012 budget meeting in Naples, Italy.

Although less capable than the Ariane 5 — which delivers around 9,000 kg to GTO — Ariane 6 is designed to be more affordable to produce and operate.

Over the past six months, project teams at ESA and CNES had been weighing two concepts for the Ariane 6 design: one based on a large, single, solid-fueled booster to serve as the rocket's first stage, and a second design based on a cluster concept involving three solid-rocket boosters as the core, topped by a fourth solid booster to function as the second stage.

Both designs were to incorporate a cryogenic third stage based on an adapted version of the Vinci engine.

In June, ESA Director of Launchers Antonio Fabrizi said the cluster option appeared to be more affordable than the single-booster concept.

"The cluster provides higher production rates for the motors, with a lower cost for each motor," he said on the sidelines of the June 5 launch of Europe's Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV-4) from Europe's Guiana Space Center in Kourou. "But there are integration complications with building the cluster, so we have to make the trade."

Having settled on the cluster concept, ESA says each of the four lower-stage boosters will be loaded with around 135 metric tons of solid propellant, and that the design choice is expected to afford synergies with future evolutions of Europe's new Vega light launcher.

In addition, the Ariane 6's 5.4 meter-dia. payload fairing will be able to accommodate the same volume of satellites as Ariane 5.

The next step for ESA is to consult with competing industry teams that will produce work packages for the new launch system, with a preliminary requirements review slated for October. By early next year, Fabrizi said ESA will propose the best concept to its member states ahead of a 2014 budget ministerial for which no date has been set.

"We'll have to propose to member states the best concept we can get from competition," he said. "Only in the second half of next year will we have the proposal ready for the ministers."

 

 

 

Copyright © 2013, Aviation Week, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies. All rights reserved.

 

===============================================================

 

 

 

July 10, 2013 at 22:42

ESA Settles on Ariane 6 Configuration

Matteo Emanuelli

 

 

Artist's conception of Ariane 6, with four identical solid engines, three for the first stage and one for the second stage. (Credit: ESA)

The European Space Agency (ESA) has finally decided the baseline design of Ariane 6, the next-generation launch vehicle that will succeed Ariane 5. According to the concept, the launch vehicle will have four solid-fueled boosters for the first and second stage, topped by a cryogenic third stage.

"This concept was selected after six months of trade-off studies done by a 'plateau project' integrating industrial teams working under ESA contract, consistent with Ministerial decisions" said a press release by ESA.

Ariane 6 is the result of the requests made by European ministers during the ESA's Ministerial Council, held in Naples in November 2012. At the council, it was requested that a new launch vehicle should be capable of placing 3 to 6.5 tons into geostationary transfer orbit, thus decreasing the launch costs. A PPH configuration was chosen, to exploit the shared features with the cryogenic re-ignitable upper stage of Ariane 5 ME, currently in development by the French company Snecma. PPH indicates the sequence of stages used in the rocket: solid propulsion for the first and second stages, and cryogenic propulsion for the third stage.

Following the PPH configuration, a 'Multi P linear' concept was selected for Ariane 6. Three identical "in-line" solid boosters will compose Ariane 6's first stage. A fourth solid motor will be mounted above, as second stage. Each of these boosters will be loaded with around 135 tons of solid propellant. The cryogenic upper stage will be equipped with a Vince engine and a 5.4 meter diameter payload fairing will accommodate the same volume of cargo as Ariane 5.

Although less capable than the heavy-lift Ariane 5, Ariane 6 is designed to be more affordable to produce and operate. The configuration's choice was driver by three main criteria: exploitation costs, time to market and development costs.

In early June, ESA rejected the criticism moved by the Air and Space Academy regarding the  selection of solid engines for the first and second stage. According to ESA, this solution will provide synergies with the Vega evolution perspectives.

ESA will soon issue a request for information to European industry on key work packages of the new launch system and the industry will have the maximum flexibility for meeting the requirements. This stage will be followed by more formal requests for bids on the new launcher's components with a final decision expected in late 2014.

 

© Copyright 2013 — Space Safety Magazine. All Rights Reserved

 

===============================================================