I-HANGZHOU NUZHUO TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO.,LTD.

I-United Launch Alliance ingalayisha i-cryogenic methane kanye ne-liquid oxygen endaweni yayo yokuhlola i-Vulcan rocket eCape Canaveral okokuqala ngqa emasontweni azayo njengoba ihlela ukwethula i-Atlas 5 rocket yayo yesizukulwane esilandelayo phakathi kwezindiza. Ukuhlolwa okubalulekile kwamarokhethi azosebenzisa i-rocket efanayo yokwethulwa eminyakeni ezayo.
Okwamanje, i-ULA isebenzisa irokhethi yayo ye-Atlas 5 esebenzayo ukuhlola izakhi zerokhethi enamandla kakhulu ye-Vulcan Centaur ngaphambi kokundiza kokuqala kwemoto entsha yokwethula. Injini entsha yesigaba sokuqala se-BE-4 evela enkampanini yasemkhathini kaJeff Bezos iBlue Origin isilungile futhi iyaqhubeka nokwethulwa kokuqala kokuhlolwa kwe-Vulcan.
Isikhulu Esiphezulu Sokusebenza se-ULA uJohn Albon uthe ekuqaleni kukaMeyi ukuthi irokhethi yokuqala yeVulcan kufanele ibe isilungele ukukhishwa ekupheleni konyaka.
Ukwethulwa kokuqala kweVulcan kungenzeka ngasekupheleni kwalo nyaka noma ekuqaleni kuka-2022, kusho uColonel Robert Bongiovi, umqondisi weSpace and Missile Systems Center's Space and Missile Systems Center, ngoLwesithathu. I-Space Force izoba yikhasimende elikhulu kunawo wonke le-ULA njengoba irokhethi leVulcan liqhuba izindiza ezimbili zokuqinisekisa ngaphambi kokwethula umsebenzi walo wokuqala wezempi wase-US, i-USSF-106, ekuqaleni kuka-2023.
Ukwethulwa kwesathelayithi yezempi yase-US i-Atlas 5 ngoLwesibili kuvivinye inguqulo ethuthukisiwe yenjini yesigaba esiphezulu se-RL10 ezondiza esigabeni esiphezulu se-Centaur rocket ye-Vulcan. Ukwethulwa okulandelayo kwe-Atlas 5 ngoJuni kuzoba irokhethi yokuqala ukusebenzisa i-Vulcan. . Njengesivikelo somthwalo esenziwe e-USA, hhayi eSwitzerland.
Ukwakhiwa nokuhlolwa kohlelo olusha lwephedi yokuqalisa irokhethi iVulcan Centaur sekuseduze kuqedwe, kusho uRon Fortson, umqondisi kanye nomphathi jikelele wemisebenzi yokuqalisa e-ULA.
“Lesi kuzoba yi-dual launch pad esetshenziswa kabili,” kusho uFordson muva nje njengoba ehola izintatheli ohambweni lwe-Launch Pad 41 eCape Canaveral Space Force Station. “Akekho owake wakwenza lokhu ngaphambili, empeleni wethula i-Atlas kanye nomugqa womkhiqizo we-Vulcan ohlukile ngokuphelele epulatifomu efanayo.”
Injini yaseRussia i-RD-180 yerokhethi i-Atlas 5 isebenza ngophalafini oxutshwe nomoya-mpilo owuketshezi. Izinjini ezimbili ze-BE-4 Vulcan zesigaba sokuqala zisebenzisa igesi yemvelo encibilikisiwe noma uphethiloli we-methane, okudinga ukuthi i-ULA ifake amathangi okugcina amasha kuPlatform 41.
Amathangi amathathu okugcina i-methane angamalitha ayi-100,000 atholakala ohlangothini olusenyakatho lweLaunch Pad 41. Le nkampani, ebambisene neBoeing neLockheed Martin, iphinde yathuthukisa uhlelo lwamanzi olumunca umsindo lwe-launch pad, olunciphisa umsindo oqinile okhiqizwa yi-launch pad. Ukwethulwa kwerokhethi.
Izindawo zokugcina i-hydrogen ewuketshezi kanye ne-oxygen ewuketshezi eLaunch Pad 41 nazo zathuthukiswa ukuze zikwazi ukwamukela isigaba esiphezulu se-Centaur, esizondiza nge-rocket ye-Vulcan.
Isigaba esisha se-Centaur 5 esingaphezulu serokhethi i-Vulcan sinobubanzi obungamamitha angu-5.4 (17.7 feet), ububanzi obuphindwe kabili kunesigaba esiphezulu se-Centaur 3 ku-Atlas 5. I-Centaur 5 izosebenzisa izinjini ezimbili ze-RL10C-1-1, hhayi injini efanayo ye-RL10 esetshenziswa kuma-Atlas 5 amaningi, futhi izothwala uphethiloli ophindwe kabili nesigamu kune-Centaur yamanje.
UFordson uthe i-ULA isiqedile ukuhlola amathangi amasha okugcina i-methane futhi yathumela uketshezi oluyi-cryogenic ngemigqa yokuphakelwa komhlabathi endaweni yokwethulwa ePad 41.
“Sigcwalise la matanki ukuze sifunde ngezindawo zawo,” kusho uFordson. “Sinophethiloli ogeleza kuyo yonke imigqa. Lokhu sikubiza ngokuthi ukuhlolwa kokugeleza okubandayo. Sidlule kuyo yonke imigqa kwaze kwaba yilapho sixhuma ne-VLP, okuyipulatifomu yokuqalisa i-Vulcan, kanye ne-rocket ye-Vulcan eqalisiwe.
I-Vulcan Launch Platform iyi-pad entsha yeselula ezothwala irokhethi ye-Vulcan Centaur isuka esikhungweni se-ULA esihlanganiswe ngokuqondile iye ku-Launch Pad 41. Ngasekuqaleni konyaka, abasebenzi basemhlabathini baphakamise isigaba esiyinhloko se-Vulcan Pathfinder baya epulatifomu futhi bagingqa irokhethi endaweni yokuqala yokuhlola umhlabathi.
I-ULA igcina izigaba ze-VLP kanye ne-Vulcan Pathfinder eCape Canaveral Space Operations Center eseduze ngenkathi inkampani ilungiselela irokhethi yayo entsha ye-Atlas 5 ukuze isuke ngesathelayithi yezempi ye-SBIRS GEO 5 yokuxwayisa kusenesikhathi.
Ngemva kokwethulwa ngempumelelo kwe-Atlas 5 kanye ne-SBIRS GEO 5 ngoLwesibili, ithimba le-Vulcan lizobuyisela irokhethi emuva ku-Launch Pad 41 ukuze liqhubeke nokuhlola i-Pathfinder. I-ULA izoqala ukubeka irokhethi ye-Atlas 5 ngaphakathi kwe-VIF, okuhlelwe ukuthi iqale ngomhlaka-23 Juni emsebenzini we-STP-3 we-Space Force.
I-ULA ihlela ukulayisha uphethiloli emotweni yokuqalisa iVulcan okokuqala, ngokusekelwe ekuhlolweni kokuqala kwesistimu yomhlabathi.
“Ngesikhathi esizayo lapho sikhipha ama-VLP, sizoqala ukwenza lezi zivivinyo zokusebenzisa imoto,” kusho uFortson.
Imoto iVulcan Pathfinder yafika eCape Canaveral ngoFebhuwari ngerokhethi ye-ULA isuka esikhungweni senkampani eDecatur, e-Alabama.
Ukwethulwa kwangoLwesibili kuphawule umsebenzi wokuqala we-Atlas 5 ezinyangeni ezingaphezu kweziyisithupha, kodwa i-ULA ilindele ukuthi ijubane lizoshesha kulo nyaka. Ngemuva kokwethulwa kwe-STP-3 ngoJuni 23, ukwethulwa okulandelayo kwe-Atlas 5 kuhlelelwe umhla zingama-30 kuJulayi, okuzohlanganisa indiza yokuhlola ye-Boeing's Starliner crew module.
“Kudingeka siqedele umsebenzi kuVulcan phakathi kokwethulwa,” kusho uFordson. “Sizokwethula i-STP-3 maduze nje ngemva kwalokhu. Banefasitela elincane lokusebenza, ukuhlola nokuhlola, bese sifaka enye imoto lapho.”
Irokhethi iVulcan Pathfinder inikwe amandla yisikhungo sokuhlola umhlaba senjini iBlue Origin iBE-4, futhi ukuhlolwa kwethangi layo kuzosiza onjiniyela ukuthi banqume ukuthi bangawufaka kanjani uphethiloli eVulcan ngosuku lokwethulwa.
“Sizoqonda zonke izimpahla nokuthi zisebenza kanjani futhi sithuthukise i-CONOPS yethu (umqondo wokusebenza) kusukela lapho,” kusho uFordson.
I-ULA inokuhlangenwe nakho okukhulu nge-hydrogen ewuketshezi ebanda kakhulu, enye i-rocket fuel cryogenic esetshenziswa emndenini we-Delta 4 wamarokhethi kanye nezigaba eziphezulu ze-Centaur.
“Bobabili babebanda kakhulu,” kusho uFordson. “Banezakhiwo ezihlukene. Sifuna nje ukuqonda ukuthi iziphatha kanjani ngesikhathi sokudluliselwa kwegciwane.
“Konke ukuhlola esikwenzayo manje ukuqonda ngokugcwele izakhiwo zale gesi nokuthi iziphatha kanjani uma siyibeka emotweni,” kusho uFordson. “Yilokho esizokwenza ngempela ezinyangeni ezimbalwa ezizayo.”
Nakuba izinhlelo zomhlaba zeVulcan zigcwele amandla, i-ULA isebenzisa ukwethulwa kwayo kwamarokhethi ukuze ihlole ubuchwepheshe bokundiza kwezimoto zokwethulwa kwesizukulwane esilandelayo.
Inguqulo entsha yenjini ye-Aerojet i-Rocketdyne RL10 esiteji esiphezulu se-Centaur yethulwe ngoLwesibili. Inguqulo yakamuva yenjini ye-hydrogen, ebizwa ngokuthi i-RL10C-1-1, ithuthukise ukusebenza kwayo futhi kulula ukuyikhiqiza, ngokusho kwe-ULA.
Injini ye-RL10C-1-1 inombhobho omude kunenjini esetshenziswe kumarokhethi e-Atlas 5 angaphambilini futhi ine-injector entsha ephrintiwe nge-3D, eyaqala ukundiza, kusho uGary Harry, iphini likamongameli wenkampani wezindaba zikahulumeni kanye nezindaba zikahulumeni. izinhlelo zezentengiselwano. kusho uGary Wentz. ULA.
Ngokusho kwewebhusayithi ye-Aerojet Rocketdyne, injini ye-RL10C-1-1 ikhiqiza cishe amakhilogremu angu-1,000 omfutho owengeziwe kunenguqulo yangaphambilini yenjini ye-RL10C-1 esetshenziswe ku-rocket ye-Atlas 5.
Izinjini ze-RL10 ezingaphezu kuka-500 zisebenzise amarokhethi kusukela ngawo-1960. Irokhethi ye-Vulcan Centaur ye-ULA izosebenzisa futhi imodeli yenjini ye-RL10C-1-1, njengoba kuzosebenzisa yonke imisebenzi ye-Atlas 5 yesikhathi esizayo ngaphandle kwe-Boeing's Starliner crew capsule, esebenzisa isigaba esiyingqayizivele se-Centaur esinezinjini ezimbili.
Ngonyaka odlule, i-rocket booster entsha eqinile eyakhiwe yiNorthrop Grumman yethulwa okokuqala endizeni ye-Atlas 5. I-booster enkulu, eyakhiwe yiNorthrop Grumman, izosetshenziswa emsebenzini we-Vulcan kanye nezindiza eziningi ze-Atlas 5 zesikhathi esizayo.
I-booster entsha ithatha indawo ye-Aerojet Rocketdyne strap-on booster ebilokhu isetshenziswa ekuqalisweni kwe-Atlas 5 kusukela ngo-2003. Ama-rocket motor aqinile e-Aerojet Rocketdyne azoqhubeka nokudubula ama-rocket e-Atlas 5 ukuze athwale imisebenzi yabantu iye emkhathini, kodwa umsebenzi waleli sonto uphawule ukundiza kokugcina kwe-Atlas 5 yempi kusetshenziswa umklamo wemoto endala yokuqalisa. Imoto yokuqalisa ye-Aerojet Rocketdyne iqinisekisiwe ukuqalisa osomkhathi.
I-ULA ihlanganise izinhlelo ze-avionics kanye nezinhlelo zokuqondisa zamarokhethi ayo e-Atlas 5 kanye ne-Delta 4 kumklamo owodwa ozophinde undize ku-Vulcan Centaur.
Ngenyanga ezayo, i-ULA ihlela ukwembula uhlelo lokugcina olukhulu olufana ne-Vulcan oluzondiza kuqala ku-Atlas 5: i-payload fairing okulula futhi okushibhile ukuyikhiqiza kune-Atlas 5's nose canopy yangaphambilini.
I-payload fairing enobubanzi obungamamitha angu-5.4 (17.7 feet) ezoqala ngenyanga ezayo emsebenzini we-STP-3 ibukeka ifana naleyo eyasetshenziswa kumarokhethi e-Atlas 5 angaphambilini.
Kodwa lo mbukiso uwumkhiqizo wobambiswano olusha lwezimboni phakathi kwe-ULA nenkampani yaseSwitzerland i-RUAG Space, eyake yakhiqiza zonke izinkundla zombukiso ze-Atlas 5’s ezingamamitha angu-5.4 embonini eSwitzerland. Ikhoni encane yekhala ye-Atlas 5 esetshenziswa kwezinye izimishini yenziwa esikhungweni se-ULA eHarlingen, eTexas.
I-ULA ne-RUAG bathuthukise umugqa omusha wokukhiqiza i-payload fairing ezindaweni ezikhona ze-Atlas, Delta kanye ne-Vulcan e-Alabama.
Umugqa wokukhiqiza wase-Alabama usebenzisa inqubo entsha eyenza kube lula izinyathelo zokukhiqiza i-fairing. Ngokusho kwe-ULA, indlela yokukhiqiza "engeyona i-autoclave" ingasebenzisa i-oven kuphela ukwelapha i-fairing ye-carbon fiber composite, isuse i-autoclave enomfutho ophezulu, ekhawulela usayizi wezingxenye ezingangena ngaphakathi.
Lolu shintsho luvumela ukuthi i-payload fairing ihlukaniswe ibe yizingxenye ezimbili esikhundleni sezingcezu ezincane ezingu-18 noma ngaphezulu. Lokhu kuzonciphisa inani lama-fasteners, ama-multiplier kanye namathuba okuba neziphambeko, kusho i-ULA kokuthunyelwe kwebhulogi ngonyaka odlule.
I-ULA ithi le ndlela entsha yenza kube lula futhi kushibhile ukwakha i-payload fairing.
I-ULA ihlela ukundiza imisebenzi engu-30 noma ngaphezulu ye-Atlas 5 ngaphambi kokuba irokhethi imiswe futhi idluliselwe kurokhethi ye-Vulcan Centaur.
Ngo-Ephreli, i-Amazon yathenga izindiza eziyisishiyagalolunye ze-Atlas 5 ukuze iqale ukwethulwa kwamasathelayithi kwinethiwekhi ye-inthanethi ye-Kuiper yenkampani. Okhulumela i-US Space Force's Space and Missile Systems Center uthe ngesonto eledlule ukuthi eminye imisebenzi eyisithupha yezokuphepha kwezwe izodinga amarokhethi e-Atlas 5 eminyakeni embalwa ezayo, ingasabalwa nemishini ye-SBIRS GEO 5 eyethulwe ngoLwesibili.
Ngonyaka odlule, i-US Space Force yamemezela izinkontileka zezigidigidi zamaRandi zokuletha umthwalo obalulekile wezokuphepha kwezwe kumarokhethi e-ULA e-Vulcan Centaur kanye nezimoto zokuqalisa ze-SpaceX ze-Falcon 9 kanye ne-Falcon Heavy kuze kube ngu-2027.
NgoLwesine, i-Space News ibike ukuthi i-Space Force kanye ne-ULA bavumile ukuhambisa umsebenzi wokuqala wezempi owabelwe irokhethi ye-Vulcan Centaur uye erokhethini ye-Atlas 5. Lo msebenzi, obizwa nge-USSF-51, uhlelelwe ukukhishwa ngo-2022.
Izindiza ezine ezilungiselela ukuphonsa emkhathini nge-capsule ye-Crew Dragon “Resilience” ye-SpaceX zigibele izindiza zazo eKennedy Space Center ngoLwesine ukuze ziqeqeshelwe ukuthunyelwa kwazo okuhleliwe e-International Space Station ngoMgqibelo kusihlwa, kuyilapho abaholi be-Mission beqapha isimo sezulu kanye nezimo zolwandle ngesikhathi senqubo yokutakula indawo engaphesheya koLwandlekazi i-Atlantic.
Onjiniyela be-NASA Kennedy Space Center abazokwengamela ukwethulwa kwamasathelayithi esayensi kanye nama-probe aphakathi kwamaplanethi bazoba nesibopho sokuqinisekisa ukuthi imisebenzi emikhulu eyisithupha ifika emkhathini ngokuphephile ezinyangeni ezingaphezu kweziyisithupha kulo nyaka, kusukela ekuqalisweni okusha kwe-GOES kwe-NOAA - Mashi 1, i-S Weather Observatory igibele irokhethi i-Atlas 5.
Irokhethi laseShayina liphonse amasathelayithi amathathu okuhlola amasosha okuhlola emkhathini ngoLwesihlanu, okuwukubili okwesibili okuqhunyiswa amasathelayithi amathathu anjalo esikhathini esingaphansi kwezinyanga ezimbili.