Ground Testing for Upper Stage Qualifikation

Abstract

From the very beginning the DLR Institute of Space Propulsion in Lampoldshausen has been involved in all European launcher programs and one of its main tasks has always been rocket propulsion testing under sea level and especially in high altitude conditions. Today with the development of the new upper stage for ARIANE 5 – ME the task of ground testing for the upper stage qualification is required. For risk mitigation the rocket propulsion systems have to be qualified close to the operational conditions and flight loads. The verification of the functional parameters, of the operation and the performance is necessary for the prediction of the mission parameters. Special tasks are given by the flight environmental conditions, the ground operations and the mission requirements. The paper deals with the test facility experience of ground testing. The basics for the development logic, test logic and test facility specification will be explained. Examples of systems already used to simulated as much as possible the flight conditions will be given. There are systems to simulate the stage feeding conditions, there are stage passenger tests of flight hardware, there are high altitude tests to simulate environmental flight conditions and there are stage tests itself.