Paris-based orbital defense company Dark has completed an initial hot fire test campaign for the combustion chamber of its Sheitan rocket engine. The engine will power the company’s air-launched Interceptor rocket.
Founded in 2021, Dark is developing its Interceptor system which is designed to be capable of delivering on unplanned space security missions. One of the main applications of the system will be performing emergency collision avoidance calls involving large space debris. The company plans to complete its first orbital defence demonstration by 2026.
On 5 July, Dark announced that it had completed the first test campaign of its Sheitan rocket engine that will power its Interceptor vehicle. The test campaign was completed at the German space agency DLR’s facility in Lampoldshausen.
During the two-week test campaign, the company completed a total of six hot fire tests. By the sixth test, the company succeeded in achieving a combustion efficiency of 99.4% at a pressure of 80 bar. While the campaign was successful, it was not without its surprises. During the first hot fire test, a “hard ignition” destroyed one of the prototype combustion chambers.
“We had a lot of obvious successes during this campaign, but sometimes things take a turn for the worse. For example, we had one hard ignition that destroyed one of our chambers,” explained Dark Chief Design Engineer Vladimir Ridard. “I do not see this as a failure but as a way to learn what works and what doesn’t. Setbacks during development test campaigns are what push you to improve your design.”
