Space

Testing of Ariane 5 in STARCS transinic wind tunnel T1500
STARCS has long experience in space related wind tunnel testing and model rocket nozzle testing.
 

Capabilities

  • Wind tunnel testing of launch and entry/re-entry configurations from low speed up to hypersonic Mach numbers
  • Transonic testing of launch and re-entry configurations 
  • Dynamic testing of re-entry configurations at transonic speeds
  • Buffeting and payload noise environment testing
  • Air intake testing including RAM and SCRAM intakes
  • Simulation of plume effects from rocket nozzles on wind tunnel models  
  • Cold air testing of rocket nozzles, including:
    • Separation in rocket nozzles
    • Aeromechanical coupling
  • CFD for space configurations  
  • Consultancy services on all aspects of aerothermodynamics of space configurations and their related flow systems
 

Track Record

Aerodynamic testing for space applications started in the mid 60s when our hypersonic wind tunnel was commissioned. The first space hardware that was tested was a nose cone that subsequently was flown on a Jabiru sounding rocket at Woomera in Australia in 1967. In the beginning most of the space work was focused on fundamental research on shocks, hypersonic boundary layers, and transition of hypersonic boundary layers.
 
We have been involved in all major European Launcher and Re-entry programmes since the Hermes programme in the mid 80s. Our main role has been to do production transonic wind tunnel testing for the different configurations.
Tested configurations include:
 
 
For the Hermes and X-38 project our wind tunnels was reference tunnels for all transonic testing.
For the Huygens probe that landed on Saturn’s moon Titan on 14 January 2005 we made wind tunnel tests for a large part of the entry flight path from hypersonic testing at Mach 7 down to low speed testing and including dynamic stability testing in the transonic range.
EXTV was a proposed European eXperimental Test Vehicle, an X-plane, from the Future Launcher programme FESTIP.
The most famous contribution in fundamental research was made by Barry Edney in 1968. His research was ground breaking for the understanding of shock-shock interaction and his report is still today vital for researcher around the world. Barry Edneys report can be downloaded here:
 
 
STARCS adapts to the needs of the customer. Focus is on solving the problem rather than the task. Please, fill in the form below and we will contact you for further discussion to find a solution to your particular problem.

 

 
 

Related topics

Inlet Aerodynamics

STARCS has a unique capacity of high flow rate air suction which can be used for simulation of air inlet specific phenomena.
 
 

Store Release Simulation

An additional highly agile motorized arm attached to the ordinary model sting pod, allow for sophisticated store release simulation.
 
 

T1500 - Transonic Wind Tunnel

T1500 is suited for transonic testing of air- and spacecraft at speeds up to Mach 1.7.
 
 
LT1 - Low Speed Wind Tunnel
STARCS low speed wind tunnel is a multipurpose aerodynamic wind tunnel, capable of testing not only all sorts of aircraft models but also almost any type of transportation, large buildings and wind turbines.