Development of a Reusable LOX/LH2 Rocket Engine - Firing Tests and Lifetime Evaluation Analysis

The main engine of the Reusable Sounding Rocket has been developed at the Kakuda Space Center of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. A total of 54 engine firing experiments were conducted between June 2014 and February 2015. Throughout these experiments, advanced capabilities and functions of this engine, such as wide range throttling, accurate controllability, and health monitoring, were proved to be feasible. This rocket is also required to be reusable for over 100 flights. To confirm the long-life durability of this engine for over 100 flights in a limited experiment period, sequential multiple-firing tests were planned and conducted. Numerical analysis to evaluate damage of the main chamber due to firings was also conducted. The results of durability tests and numerical analysis showed reuse of this engine for over 100 flights to be feasible.