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Media Release
Zurich, July 14, 2021
Strategic Partnership Moves into the Next Round

With the signing of the contract for the 5 th modification of the development and production contract (“Mod5) for the Atlas as well as Vulcan Centaur rocket
programs, United Launch Alliance (ULA) and RUAG Space extend and expand their successful cooperation.

In 2015, United Launch Alliance (ULA) announced a strategic partnership with RUAG Space to produce composite structures for the Atlas V rocket in the USA. The move was part of the transition from the Delta and Atlas rocket programs to the next generation of launch vehicles, the Vulcan family. The Vulcan Centaur launch vehicle will be used for both satellite launches and manned missions.

ULA_Vulcan

Over 120 successful ULA launches with RUAG Space products
As part of the strategic partnership, RUAG Space had set up shop in Decatur (US state of Alabama) in a 130,000-square-foot ULA building originally used for the Delta program and, following successful conversion, began operations in 2017. Until 2017, the structures were produced at RUAG Space’s sites in Zurich and Emmen, Switzerland. The last structure
manufactured in Emmen for the Atlas launch vehicle left Switzerland for the USA at the end of September 2020 on board an Antonov An-124. Now production is taking place directly on site in Decatur, where RUAG Space will also manufacture the carbon fiber structures for the new Vulcan launch vehicle in the future following the successful development and qualification. The payload fairings in composite technology – consisting of two half-shells that are mechanically joined together – are manufactured in a modern, partially automated process. RUAG Space’s payload fairings use a sandwich architecture of aluminum honeycomb material sandwiched between an inner and outer cover layer of woven carbon fiber. A cork layer applied to the exterior provides thermal protection against frictional heat generated during launch. Thanks to an innovative process, the carbon fiber structures required for the payload fairing can be manufactured without the use of an autoclave and thus more cost-effectively than in the conventional process.

RUAG Space

The Decatur facility currently supplies carbon fiber composite structures for ULA’s Atlas launch vehicles, including the payload fairing for the Atlas V-500 launch vehicle and the interstage adapter for the Atlas V-400, as well as carbon fiber structures for qualification and future production of the new Vulcan launch vehicle, including payload fairings, interstage adapters and heat shields. Since the beginning of the strategic partnership between ULA and RUAG Space, more than 120 successful rocket launches have been carried out by ULA using RUAG Space products.

Cooperation extended and expanded
With the signing of the modification of the production contract (“Mod5”) between ULA and RUAG Space now completed, the successful cooperation enters the next round. While the production of the Atlas rocket and the development and qualification of the Vulcan components have been the focus so far, “Mod5” refers to orders until 2024. The additional order volume for RUAG Space from the contract modification amounts to 110 million Swiss francs. Holger Wentscher, who heads the Launchers product group at RUAG Space, says: “I would like to express my sincere thanks to ULA for the trust placed in us and for the cooperative partnership. With my colleagues at our Decatur facility, I look forward to continuing our shared success story.”

“The partnership between ULA and RUAG has been a vital part of our successes over the many years,“ says Daniel Caughran, ULA vice president of Productions, Operations and Supply Chain. “The recent contract modification reflects the ongoing trust and commitment to the partnership with RUAG Space as we proceed towards the first launch, and many future launches, of the Vulcan Centaur.”

This media release can be found here: https://www.ruag.com/news

RUAG International

Point of Contact: Philipp Bircher, Director Communications Space,
Phone: +41 79 790 11 8
Email: philipp.bircher@ruag.com

RUAG Space is the leading supplier to the space industry in Europe with a growing presence in the USA. Around 1,300 employees in six countries develop and manufacture products for satellites and launch vehicles – giving RUAG Space a central role in both the institutional and commercial space markets. RUAG International is a Swiss technology group with production sites in 14 countries and is divided into four divisions: Space, Aerostructures, MRO International and Ammotec. RUAG International employs around 6,500 people, of whom around two thirds work outside Switzerland. www.ruag.com

upported by the ESA GSTP, STI today reached the next milestone with the start of the verification process of a 5-hinge-axes solar array deployment system, as will be used for the Copernicus expansion satellites, on a Zero-g robot (called “ZeroG”). Qualification is planned to be completed mid 2021.

Solar array wings – state of the art

Efficient power generation is a key factor in satellite development: High performance satellite instruments and platforms often have high power requirements that can only be generated by big surface solar arrays. Due to limited launcher capacity and excessive loads during launch, the solar array panels of most satellites need to be stored in a small volume during launch and are deployed after separation from the launcher. Depending on the required power the deployment mechanism contains one or more hinge axes. While single-hinge deployment mechanisms can be relatively basic spring-driven mechanisms, multi-hinge deployment mechanisms are typically complex mechanisms containing motors and cables that perform a slow and synchronized deployment of the solar array wings. Unfortunately, these designs tend to be heavy, reliability critical and expensive.

A new approach to multi-hinge deployments

After having developed, built and delivered a range of body fixed and single-hinge solar arrays, SpaceTech (STI) has started the development of a new type of multi-hinge deployment mechanisms some years ago. This development resulted in the controlled unsynchronized deployment mechanism concept relying on C-spring hinges with torque-limiters to achieve a robust deployment into a defined deployment corridor. It significantly reduces the deployable solar array wing complexity, weight and cost. STI has successfully applied the design in several activities, both for institutional and commercial missions. Perhaps most prominently are the 1800 solar array deployment mechanisms that we deliver to OneWeb, 220 of which are already in orbit. Half a year ago, STI delivered the first solar array with 5 hinge axes for Momentus smallest satellite “Vigoride”. Also, mid 2020, STI was selected by Thales, Airbus and OHB to provide the solar array wings for the EU Copernicus Expansion Satellites CHIME, CO2M, CRISTAL and LSTM, also with up to 5 hinges axes, but significantly larger panels. This indicating that our designs are not only cost efficient, but also meet the highest space mission standards.  

Design and verify

One of the challenges of the controlled unsynchronized deployment mechanism is to ensure a safe deployment under all mission scenarios. This requires a high level of system design understanding and modelling of the specific design and environment during deployment. In addition, the verification of such a fast deployment requires new approaches for a ZeroG test rig that is capable to provide realistic g-compensation during different deployment scenarios for a wide range of solar array wings from 1 to up to 5 hinge axes.

CarboSpaceTech’s ZeroG robot for realistic multi-hinge deployment testing

One of the key pieces of the puzzle to the STI multi-hinge development is the unique zero gravity testing robot ZeroG by SpaceTech’s innovative daughter company, CarboSpaceTech. Unlike traditional g-compensation measures, like rigs with long cables or Helium balloons, which are severely limited in dynamic situations, ZeroG is able to actively react in real time to the movement of the test object. Thus eliminating the impact of gravity with multiple, independent manipulators – one for each of the connected solar panels.

Watch the video.

Learn more about SpaceTech GmbH

SpaceTech GmbH (STI)

Point of Contact: Dr. Kolja Nicklaus
E-Mail: business@spacetech-i.com
Telephone: +49 (7545) 932 84 86

The purpose of the KOMPSAT (KOrean Multi Purpose SATellite) is to provide high-resolution pictures for the purpose of precise earth observation from a low polar earth orbit. The satellite is equipped with a very accurate optical imaging camera and a high-resolution infrared sensor which allows to observe fire, volcanic activity and urban thermal islands during day and night and under any weather condition. K7 succeeds the previous model of KOMPSAT-3A.

The PSU is a unique power system, developed and manufactured by ASP-Equipment and consists of two electronic units which are combined in a single mechanical housing. The purpose is to supply secondary power to the panchromatic band camera and the multi spectral band camera. It features 24 highly accurate power outputs, as well as a TC/TM-interface and controlled heater outputs. The PSU contains a total of 8 individual designed, manufactured and tested modules and underlines the capability of ASP to contribute to state of the art spacecraft with outstanding power product solutions.

Advanced Space Power Equipment GmbH (ASP)
Point of Contact: Thomas Hintze
E-Mail: t.hintze@asp-equipment.de
Telephone: +49 (7553) 5909-233