High Altitude Test Facility - Realization Phase

The objective of this activity is to physically realize the design of the high altitude propulsion test facility at Westcott Venture park (Jsite) in the UK. By the end of this activity the facility will be ready for immediate use. This is a vacuum simulation facility capable of continuous testing of high thrust in-space engines. The current plan is for 1.5kN thrust capacity. A near term growth of this capability up to 3.5kN is to be planned for. While a longer term capacity of up to 6kN is to be anticipated.

The activity has been structured in two phases: The aforementioned first phase is the design phase where the full engineering drawings and plans will be finalized. This activity, ;is the second phase where those plans will be realized and the facility built.   The facility consists of the following: A vacuum test cell sized for larger engines (at least 1.5kN but projected up to 6kN). A vacuum diffuser as part of the pumping and exhaust system sized for at least 1.5 kN A multistage steam ejector system and condenser system to meet the vacuum and mass flux requirements. A steam source either a gas or oil fired boiler. The necessary infrastructure to house the facility.  The baseline design has been established in the frame of the proposal for the first phase. Preliminary trade offs indicated that pure electric pumping (roots blowers) were not going to be sufficient, hence the adoption of the steam ejector system. The final form of this has yet to be determined. The number of ejector stages, condenser design; active or passive; and steam source are all yet to be finalized. These are subjects of the current ongoing design effort.