Main Goals

Target building blocks for CARAVELA:

  • Liquid propulsion system (liquid-liquid), with associated tanks and actuators;

  • Kick Stage whose demonstrator will have cold gas propulsion

  • Avionic systems, including telemetry, remote control, and ground station;

  • Fairings;

  • Staging mechanism (interstage);

  • Structural elements for connection between components;

  • Assembly processes;

  • Quality control, safety and environmental impact and qualification processes;

  • Flight test and control instrumentation.

Project

The Consortium intends to take advantage of the complementary expertise developed by each member individually, thus focusing on the development of individual building blocks (such as the liquid propulsion system, the avionics, the structure and fairings), instead of the system as a whole. However, CARAVELA aims to intensify the effort on the standardisation aspect of the solutions and concepts of scalability, as well as guarantee the technical, economical and operational feasibility of integrating the developed building blocks on a microlauncher; therefore, in order to assure the consistency of the building blocks as a whole, the project will include activities of assembly and integration, as well as a demonstration of the proposed solution through the launch of a sounding rocket.

Innovative Features

Liquid Propulsion

  • Engine produced by adding layers (3D printing) techniques in high performance alloy (Inconel 718);
  • Simplified pressurization system;
  • Exclusive use of liquid fuels.

KickStage

  • Kick Stage as a building block to be integrated in a launcher;
  • Use of layering techniques (3D printing) for component production

Structures

  • Structural components in AM;
  • Nozzle propellants produced by layer addition techniques (3D printing);
  • Fairings produced in carbon composites out of autoclave.

Structure assembly and finishing

  • Mixed structural connections (screwed and glued);
  • Bonded structural links;
  • Glued structural links complying with REACH;
  • Bonded structural connections conducting electricity;
  • Paintings that do not accumulate static electricity and comply with REACH

Processes

  • Quality and Safety Reference;
  • Dematerialisation of the system;
  • Average time for making critical decisions;
  • Average response time in AIT campaign.

Flight tests and operational aspects

  • Adaptation of conventional launcher processes to microlaunchers;
  • Mobile launch base;