The European Space Agency announced that ArianeGroup and SSC Space completed a second wet dress rehearsal of the Themis reusable rocket demonstrator at Esrange in Sweden.
ESA announced the completion of the latest rehearsal on 7 October, saying that the test had taken place on 29 September.
As with the first wet dress rehearsal, completed in July, the demonstrator was filled with liquid nitrogen rather than propellant. The nitrogen was cooled to around -200°C, allowing teams to test the vehicle and ground infrastructure under similar cryogenic temperatures and pressures without the added risk of propellant loading.
The second rehearsal also included tests of elements of the automated ground systems developed to support reusable operations. After the demonstrator touches down following a test, robotic systems are expected to locate the vehicle, connect to it, and drain any remaining fuel and oxidiser while personnel remain at a safe distance.
Previously, ESA said a hot-fire test of the demonstrator’s Prometheus engine would follow a full wet dress rehearsal using liquid oxygen and liquid methane. As a result, unless the test sequence has since changed, at least one further rehearsal will be conducted before teams progress to a hot-fire test.
According to a statement from the SALTO consortium, “teams are now working on defining a window for the next test.”
The consortium is conducting the initial Themis flight campaign under the European Union-funded SALTO initiative. The €42.8-million project is funding the first two low-altitude hop tests of Themis to demonstrate that the vehicle can be launched, recovered, and then launched again.
During the first of those flights, Themis is expected to climb to an altitude of up to 100 metres before descending and attempting a vertical landing.
