A pressure-fed, full-blowdown, nitrogen tetroxide (NTO)/hydrazine (N2H4) bipropellant liquid apogee propulsion system was selected for engineering test satellite--VI (ETS-VI), a 2000-kg Japanese engineering test satellite. This 2000-kg mass geostationary satellite is scheduled to be launched by an H-II rocket in 1994. The apogee engine required a high reliability and a relatively high performance for a pressure fed system. In the preliminary development phase of the apogee engine, a peak vacuum specific Ispv of 325 s was set as the initial development target. This performance requirement of the apogee engine is greater than that of the bipropellant engine using NTO/monomethyl hydrazine (MMH). To meet such high performance requirements, the authors employed a NTO/N2H4 propellant system instead of NTO/MMH propellant and used a very large area ratio nozzle (nozzle area ratio is 200 to 300). To enhanced the reliability of the apogee propulsion system, the authors selected a pressure-fed, full-blowdown system. Fundamental studies including hard-start, pop and thermal problems were also conducted during the development series of apogee engine started in 1983.
Development Test of a Liquid Apogee Engine for the ETS-VI
1994
27 pages
Report
No indication
English
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