A.R.D.: Structures development and manufacturing

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A.R.D.: Structures development and manufacturing

Demuysere, P. / Coune, T. / Atkins, T.

The atmospheric re-entry demonstrator (ARD) is a flight demonstration capsule-type vehicle that aims to improve the European knowledge of critical re-entry technology by acquiring practical experience. The vehicle will perform a suborbital flight, followed by atmospheric re-entry and has to be recovered after sea-splashdown. The mission will validate some important aspects of manned space flight, such as aerothermal behaviour, thermal protection system, guidance and black-out effects. A highly representative condensed dynamic model was developed from the 3D model and delivered to Aerospatiale to prepare test campaign and perform a coupled analysis with the launcher. This model was also used to improve the hexagon dynamic behaviour. Finite Element model predictions show excellent agreement with the first experimental results. The ARD is the first major initiative to employ new management techniques under a 'faster, cheaper, better' strategy similar to that started earlier by NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration). Following this approach, adequate development and definition have permitted the modification response time to be reduced as much as possible and to perform both development and manufacturing in less than twelve months.