Astrium to develop key technologies for new upper stages for future space missions

by Sara M. Langston with the blog faculty

New ESA contract worth EUR20 million

Technology development for new re-ignitable upper stages

(Bremen, June 23, 2010) — Astrium, Europe’s leading space company, has been awarded a contract by the European Space Agency (ESA) to develop key technologies for new re-ignitable upper stages for new launchers. Under the two-year contract, worth EUR20 million, Astrium will develop advanced technologies that will play a major role in enabling the engines of the cryogenic upper stages (fuelled by liquid hydrogen and oxygen) to be re-ignited. The project is called CUST (Cryogenic Upper Stage Technologies) and is issued under the framework of the Future Launchers Preparatory Programme (FLPP) of ESA. The work will focus particularly on fuel management in the state of zero-gravity and on the thermal insulation of the fuel tanks filled with cryogenic fuel…more