In support of a facility characterization test, the Integrated Cryogenic Propulsion Test Article (ICPTA) was hotfire tested at a variety of simulated altitude and thermal conditions in the NASA Glenn Research Center Plum Brook Station In-Space Propulsion Thermal Vacuum Chamber (formerly B2). The ICPTA utilizes liquid oxygen and liquid methane propellants for its main engine and four reaction control engines, and uses a cold helium system for tank pressurization. The hotfire test series included high altitude, high vacuum, ambient temperature, and deep cryogenic environments, and several hundred sensors on the vehicle collected a range of system level data useful to characterize the operation of an integrated LOX/Methane spacecraft in the space environment - a unique data set for this propellant combination.
Integrated Cryogenic Propulsion Test Article Thermal Vacuum Hotfire Testing
2017
4 pages
Report
No indication
English
Space Technology , Aerospace environments , Altitude simulation , Thermal vacuum tests , Vacuum chambers , Characterization , Cryogenics , Cryogenic temperature , Liquid oxygen , Methane , Propulsion system configurations , Temperature profiles , Test chambers , Cold gas , Fuel tank pressurization , Helium , Liquid nitrogen , Propellant tanks , Real time operation , Spacecraft environments , Spherical tanks
British Library Conference Proceedings | 2017
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