New Measures To Dampen Oscillations Tested

Last week, a successful test firing of an Ariane 5 solid rocket booster took place at the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana. The test was part of the Ariane 5 Research and Technology Accompaniment (ARTA) Program.

The ARTA Program, part of ESA's Ariane 5 Development Program, is responsible for verifying the stability of the qualification status of the Ariane 5 launch system, checking the current production and qualifying required modifications to the launcher design before they enter service.

The main goal of this ARTA test was to verify the qualification status of the current solid rocket booster production with respect to potential manufacturing process drifts.

ESA notes some new modifications and materials upgrades were also tested. Additionally, the test allowed the checking of some modifications made to improve the booster behavior with respect to critical points -- especially the reduction of pressure oscillations. Those oscillations are a common bane of using solid rocket boosters; as ANN has reported, NASA is working to quell similar vibrations for its upcoming Ares rockets.

The test was performed in the booster engine test stand (BEAP - Banc d'Essais des Accelerateurs a Poudre), a test facility specifically designed for MPS vertical testing and located at the Guiana Space Centre (CSG - Centre Spatial Guyanais), Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.

During the 140-second test, the motor delivered a mean thrust of approximately 600 tonnes. The booster was thoroughly instrumented and around 560 parameters were recorded throughout the test to monitor its performance and to provide the data required to evaluate the different test objectives. Initial analysis of the data confirms that performance was in line with predictions.

This was the fourth test of an SRB since the beginning of the ARTA 5 Program, and the eleventh since the start of the Ariane 5 Development Program. The next SRB ARTA test is expected in about two years from now.

FMI: www.esa.int, www.arianespace.com