Increased capabilities at Esrange Space Center Tests of reusable motors and stages ...

• Main Authors: KROKSTEDT, Christian, YTTERSKOG, Anne, PAHLSSON, Philip
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: Proceedings of the 8th European Conference for Aeronautics and Space Sciences. Madrid, Spain, 1-4 july 2019 2019
• Subjects: FLIGHT TESTS; GROUND AND IN-FLIGHT TESTS; TEST FACILITIES; Arctic; Esrange
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.13009/eucass2019-1054; https://www.eucass.eu/doi/EUCASS2019-1054.pdf

SSC (Swedish Space Corporation) is investing alongside funding decided by the Swedish Government, in a new test bed facility at SSC\'s Esrange Space Center. Esrange is since a couple of years undergoing a major upgrade in order to meet the increasing demand of access to space and test facilities for motors and reusable stages. The test bed facility will enable validation of new liquid, hybrid and solid engines as well as of new sounding rockets and reusable first stages through tethered tests, jump tests and controlled landings. A test facility for static firing of solid rocket motors is already in operation, facilities for liquid rocket motors are expected to be operational by Q3 2019. The plan is to carry out validation of new sounding rocket motors by 2019 and reusable stages by 2020. Esrange Space Center, owned and operated by SSC since 1972, has an ideal location in the very north of Sweden, above the Arctic Circle (68N, 21E) with access to a vast, unpopulated recovery area, 5200 km2. It has a ...