OURAL: A COOPERATION BETWEEN EUROPE AND RUSSIA TO PREPARE FUTURE LAUNCHERS

摘要

Europe and the Federation of Russian began a cooperation in the field of launchers with the commercialization of the Russian Soyouz launcher by a French-Russian company called STARSEM in 1996, which was then followed by the decision to launch Soyouz from French Guyana from 2008. The corresponding launch pad is under construction in the frame of an ESA optional program. In the furtherance of this cooperation in launch services, CNES and ROSKOSMOS signed in March 2005 an agreement to commonly prepare future launcher developments. This agreement foresees that technological work will be commonly conducted by European and Russian organisms in the frame of a program called OURAL. Five technological fields constitute the OURAL program: launch vehicle concept studies, LOX/ Methane propulsion, advanced cryogenic tanks and structures, reentry vehicle demonstrator and first stage demonstrator. This paper presents the results obtained in the frame of the OURAL program from its start in beginning of 2005 for the five above mentioned theme. Concept studies include an analysis of future markets for launch vehicles and a study of the best ELV and RLV candidates. LOX/ methane propulsion theme present the results obtained by testing a Russian engine adapted to methane. The possible design options and corresponding technologies for a cryogenic tank demonstrator are presented. A detailed status of the reentry demonstrator is given and finally the first concept studies for the first stage demonstrator are also described.