The challenges of the Ariane 6 upper stage tests at DLR in Lampoldshausen
The hot-running tests of the Ariane 6 upper stage are currently taking place at the Lampoldshausen site of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) on behalf of the space company ArianeGroup. The specially developed and built ESA test stand P5.2 provides the flexible and state-of-the-art test environment for this campaign. A total of three hot run tests are planned with the upper stage. After several weeks of intensive preparation, they usually take at least around 17 hours each. Hot run tests are the supreme discipline on the test bench. They place the highest demands on the technology and are therefore a particular challenge for the team and infrastructure. The findings from these tests are fundamental to finalizing Ariane 6 and making it ready for launch into space. Anja Frank and her team have prepared the tests accordingly thoroughly. Maximum concentration is required to complete all preparations on the seven-ton upper stage with a diameter of 5.4 meters and a height of 11.6 meters.
Anja Frank is responsible for the test stands and supply systems for rocket propulsion systems at the Institute of Space Propulsion. In the run-up to the first test of the Ariane 6 upper stage, she spoke about the demands on the team, the technical challenges and the pressure involved in the preparations.
Anja Frank has been in charge of the test facilities at the DLR Institute of Space Propulsion in Lampoldshausen since 2006. After studying aerospace engineering in Stuttgart, she joined the Institute of Space Propulsion as a test engineer and was immediately involved in the development of the Vulcain 2 main stage engine for the European Ariane 5 launcher. She is currently working with her team to qualify the upper stage of Ariane 6. In this interview, she talks about the challenges and complex steps involved in this test campaign, but also about how important the findings from these tests are for the entire launcher development process.
About the Ariane 6 program
The upper stage is part of ESA's Ariane 6 program, whose German participation is managed by the German Space Agency at DLR in Bonn. As prime contractor, ArianeGroup is responsible for the development and construction of the entire launch vehicle. These are carried out in cooperation with industrial partners. The subsidiary Arianespace is responsible for marketing the launcher system. The French space agency CNES is responsible for the construction of the launch site in Kourou and for the tests taking place there.