M10 (rocket engine)

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M10
Moteur-fusée italien LOX CH4 Mira DSC 0023.JPG
LM-10 MIRA model at Le Bourget
Country of origin European Union
 Italy,  Russia
DesignerAvio, KBKhA
ManufacturerAvio
Applicationupper stage
Associated LVVega
PredecessorRD-0146
StatusUnder development
Liquid-fuel engine
PropellantLiquid oxygen / liquid methane
Mixture ratio3.4
CycleExpander cycle
Pumps1
Configuration
Chamber1
Nozzle ratio40
Performance
Thrust98 kN (22,000 lbf)
Specific impulse362 s
Used in
Vega-E
References
Notes[1][2]

M10 is a liquid-fuel upper-stage rocket engine in development by Avio on behalf of European Space Agency for use on Vega E. The engine, initially known as LM10-MIRA, is a derivation of the existing Russian RD-0146 engine and result of a collaboration between Avio and Chemical Automatics Design Bureau (KBKhA) ended in 2014.[3][4] As of March 2021 the engine ground qualification is foreseen for 2024 with consequent maiden flight on a Vega-E launcher by 2025.[2]

Overview[]

The M10 engine is the first operational European methane rocket engine, conceived for use on upper stages of future Vega-E and Vega-E Light launchers, in which will replace both the solid-fueled Zefiro 3rd stage and hydrazine-fueled AVUM 4th upper stage. An industrial team directed by Avio with companies of Austria, Belgium, France, Czech Republic, Romania and Switzerland will manufacture the engine. The M10 minimum thrust requirements are a thrust of 98 kN (22,000 lbf) with a propellant mixture ratio of 3.4 and a minimum specific impulse of 362s.[1]

Development[]

A feasibility study on improving Vega started in 2004, when the rocket was still in development, with the aim of increase performance, reduce costs and move away from toxic hydrazine fuels. The study proposed a new three-stage version of the rocket named Lyra with a liquid oxygen-methane upper stage. In 2007 Avio and KBKhA started the collaboration for the development of such an engine under an agreement signed between Italian and Russian governments in Moscow on November 28, 2000. The first phase of the collaboration, ended in 2008, aimed at designing a concept for a 10t thrust LOx-LNG engine. The second phase of the collaboration focused instead on designing, manufacturing and testing a 7.5t thrust LM10-MIRA demonstrator engine. The engine was successfully tested in June 2014 in Voronezh, Russia.[4] After the end of the collaboration with KHBhA, Avio continued with the development of M10 under the Vega-Evolution program returning to the original target thrust of 10t. Objectives were finalizing development of main subsystems such as turbopumps, valves, igniter, thrust vectoring and a new ALM 3D printed Thrust Chamber Assembly (TCA).[2] A subscale model of the TCA was tested successfully on 13 November 2018 in Colleferro, Italy.[5] In February 2020 a full scale engine with a 3D printed TCA was successfully tested at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, firing 19 times for a total of 450 seconds.[6]

See also[]

Comparable engines[]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b "Motore M10" [Engine M10] (in Italian). Avio. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c D. Kajon; D.Liuzzi; C. Boffa; M. Rudnykh; D. Drigo; L. Arione; N. Ierardo; A. Sirbi (1 August 2019). "Development of the liquid oxygen and methane M10 rocket engine for the Vega-E upper stage" (PDF). doi:10.13009/EUCASS2019-315. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  3. ^ R. Battiston (30 June 2016). "Italian Contribution to Innovative Space Propulsion & Re-entry missions" (PDF). CESMA, Centro Studi Militari Aeronautici "Giulio Douhet". Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b P. Bellomi; M. Rudnykh; S. Carapellese; D. Liuzzi; G. Caggiano; L. Arione; A.A. Gurtovoy; S.D. Lobov; V. S. Rachuk (8 February 2019). "Development of LM10-MIRA liquid oxygen – liquid natural gas expander cycle demonstrator engine". doi:10.1051/eucass/201911447. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  5. ^ Avio (21 November 2018). "Hot fire test of prototype engine thrust chamber for future Vega Evolution". ESA. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  6. ^ "3D-printed thrust chamber passes first tests for Vega evolutions". ESA. 3 March 2020. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
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