Core competence

Upper stage competence

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Video: P5.2 test facility for the Ariane 6 upper stage at DLR in Lampoldshausen
Flexible, adaptable and cost-efficient – with the new P5.2 upper stage test stand, the DLR site in Lampoldshausen is expanding its portfolio for all liquid-fueled, chemical space propulsion systems in Europe. To ensure that all payloads can be safely launched into orbit, the engines of the new Ariane 6 launch vehicle must first undergo extensive testing. An important step in the testing of the upper stage of the new launcher took place on February 26, 2019. The new P5.2 test stand was officially inaugurated on the DLR site in Lampoldshausen.
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Video: Successful test of the Ariane 6 upper stage on the ESA test stand P5.2
First hot-run test of the complete upper stage of the new Ariane 6 rocket at the German Aerospace Center (DLR). This test is a major milestone in the development of the Ariane 6 launcher. The teams from DLR, ArianeGroup and the European Space Agency (ESA) were able to refuel and cool down the new upper stage for the first time and test the Vinci engine for 45 seconds in a hot run.
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DLR, ESA, ArianeGroup

The development of the P5.2 upper stage test stand on behalf of the European Space Agency ESA was a mammoth task for the DLR team. Constantly new requirements and conditions adapted to the upper stage presented the DLR engineers with major challenges. After all, testing under stage-like supply conditions is the supreme discipline among hot-running tests. They place the highest demands on the technology and are therefore a particular challenge for the team and infrastructure. The pressure and temperature of liquid hydrogen and oxygen, especially in transient phases during cooling, ignition and firing, must be just right. After several weeks of intensive preparation, the tests usually take around 17 hours each. All aspects are simulated, including the preparation and post-processing of the stage. This includes refueling with liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen as well as emptying the tanks at the end of the test. The test stand team collects a large amount of important data during the tests: for example, on the ballistic phases in which the upper stage flies without thrust, the so-called coast phase, on the pressure build-up in the tanks before engine ignition, on engine re-ignition and on the function of the nozzles used for attitude control. The findings from these tests are fundamental to finalizing Ariane 6 and making it ready for launch into space.

The P5.2 upper stage test stand
The tests with the complete Ariane 6 upper stage take place on the ESA P5.2 test stand specially developed for this purpose – an infrastructure that is unique in Europe.
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Sketch of the upper stage test stand P5.2
One of the core competencies of the Test Bench Technology department is the conception and design of test benches and systems.
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