Skyrora, an Edinburgh-based private rocket manufacturer, has completed a 70kN hot-fire test for its fully 3D printed rocket engine, which is slated for use in the company’s XL launch vehicle.
The success marks a key step in the firm’s ongoing contract under the Commercial Space Transportation Services and Support Programme (CSTS) of theEuropean Space Agency(ESA).
Conducted at Skyrora’s test site in Gorebridge, Midlothian, the hot-fire test was the latest in a series of 16. It lasted a total of 20 seconds, was completed with all requirements met, and used a different propellant mixture ratio than the previous tests.
Skyrora的创始人兼首席执行官Volodymyr Levykin表示：“如果没有我们国际团队的不懈努力，这一里程碑是不可能的。每个人的见解都是无价的，他们的精神是Skyrora每个人所分享的激情的真实证明。”
Skyrora为星星射击
Skyrora成立于2017年，目的是成为英国领先的轨道太空发射公司。该公司目前正在针对小型卫星市场，并利用内部3D打印和常规制造工艺来生产其火箭组件。
Announced in 2019,Skyrora’s Gorebridge test site was established in March 2022and is reportedly the largest of its kind in the UK. Measuring over 120,000 square feet, the facility uses rainfall from the Scottish Lowlands to cool and dampen the sound of the test stand.
Just last year, the company also successfully completed trials of the third stage of itsSkyrora XL rocket。The launch vehicle will reportedly be able to refire its engines around 15 times once in orbit, completing tasks such as tugging and de-orbiting defunct satellites. In October 2021, Skyrora announced a multi-launch agreement with spaceportSaxaVord, enabling the company to complete 16 launches a year by 2030.
最近，该公司开发了声称是欧洲最大的混合3D打印机。Based on the existing Skyprint 1, the Skyprint 2 is set to be fully operational later in 2022 and will be used to manufacture large-format rocket engine parts up to 2.3m in length.
70KN引擎测试
Designed and 3D printed on-site at Skyrora’s recently-launched new vehicle assembly facility, the 70kN rocket engine is a critical component used in the first and second stages of the firm’s XL orbital launch vehicle. According to the company, many of the engine’s elements were based on the old-school Black Arrow Gamma 8 rocket design, drawing inspiration from the UK’s aerospace legacy.
Once qualified, the engine will be the first staged combustion engine to operate on high-test peroxide (HTP), a novel liquid rocket propellant.
Skyrora工程主管杰克·詹姆斯·马洛（Jack James Marlow）博士说：“发动机通过所有数据名义和所有系统要求都达到了最终开发测试，这是一个很棒的团队成就。我们独特的发动机使用HTP用闭环方法来为涡轮机供电，而不是黑箭头的开循环。这意味着我们具有更高的发动机效率，同时使整体系统保持简单。这使我们可以为客户提供更大的有效载荷。”
With the latest test now complete, the next round of qualification tests has been unlocked. The engine in question will be disassembled, refurbished, and qualification tested to bring the company one step closer to propulsion system integration and stage testing. Skyrora has also expressed plans to scale up its manufacturing process, with qualification tests expected to be ramped up to one engine a week.
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特色图像在70KN测试期间显示了3D打印引擎。通过Skyrora的照片。
