Achievements and Development Status of the H2O2 based Roll and Attitude Control System for VEGA launchers
Creators: name:  GABRIELE GUERRA 
name:   BASTIEN HAEMMERI 
name:   GEJR HOVBRENDER 
name:   CHRISTINA KLAVENES 
name:   TURI ROYNE VALLE 
name:   ANTONELLA VIOLA 
name:   ALICE HROMADKOVA 
name:   MARCO LEONARDI 
name:   NICOLA IERARDO 
Publisher: name: Proceedings of the Aerospace Europe Conference - EUCASS - CEAS - 2023
Year: 2023
Subjects: RACS
GREEN PROPELLANT
H2O2
VEGA
PROPULSION

description: Since 2008, Nammo Raufoss has heavily invested into the development of propulsion systems based on Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) as propellant[l ], [2]. Thanks to the acquired expertise and in an effort to replace the current hydrazine based system with a safer and greener one, Nammo has been awarded by ESA and A VIO an ESA funded contract for the development of the H2O2 based Roll and Attitude Control System (RACS) for the VEGA launcher family During the first phase of the project, Nammo performed extensive components test campaigns and development work at system level, which enabled a successful PDR [3]. Since then, Nammo continued with subassembly and component PDRs while simultaneously advancing with the system development in preparation for a full propulsion system test campaign to be performed during Q2-Q3 2023. This paper will provide an overview of the status of the RACS design, development and testing and its to-date main achievements, connecting its progress with the joined development of the main components. It will as well give an overview of the remaining planned activities to obtain a fully qualified, ready to launch system. 1. Overview on Nammo\'s green propellant technology Nammo Raufoss AS historical field of expertise was tactical solid rocket motors (SRM). A first incursion into the space sector was done in the 90\'s with a contract to develop valves for space application and another one, continuing up to this date, to deliver the FE (booster separation motor) and FA (acceleration motor) motors for Ariane 5; motors responsible respectively for the separation of the side boosters and the acceleration after separation of the second stage. These activities led to further solid motor delivery with the Distancing Rocket motor for Ariane 6, and the Pl20-C igniter for both VEGA-C and Ariane 6. As a first spin-off to this solid motor technology, Nammo started investigated in early 2000 the hybrid technology. This technology has indeed the potential to enable the simplicity of a solid motor, with the controllability of a liquid, at a low development and recurring costs. During the first phase of the development [ 4], Hydrogen Peroxide has been chosen as liquid oxidizer, thanks to its storability, industrial availability and high density. Peroxide is in addition a green propellant, a key enabler for innovative propulsion systems which have been for long part of ESA development focus and are now an integral part of the ESA Agenda 2025. This development culminated with the development of the UM! motor and the successful launch of the Nucleus, a prototype sounding rocket [l]. In 2012, the development of monopropellant thrusters came as a natural spin-off to the hybrid technology, based on the same oxidizer and catalyst technology. Since then, maturation work of the technology has been performed by Nammo throughout different programs, like the Hot Gas Reaction System (HGRS) for Ariane 5 :tv.lE and others funded by ESA. It is thanks to this acquired expertise that Nammo was contracted in 2019 by ESA and A VIO to develop the H2O2 based Roll and Attitude Control System (RACS) for the VEGA launcher family which is the subject of this paper. It should as well be mentioned that the RACS development will bring advantage to other space programs, such as the Copyright 2023 by Narnmo Raufoss AS. Posted online by the EU CASS association with permission.