Unification of filling station equipment intented for filling of spacecraft, upper stages and low-thrust propulsion systems of space launch systems

Abstract

The object of research is filling stations, projected for filling the upper stage, low-thrust propulsion system of spacecraft. The disadvantage of existing designs of filling stations is the use of filling equipment of the outside organization for spacecraft filling. It is proposed to standardize the equipment of filling stations for filling of spacecraft, upper stages, and low-thrust propulsion systems, which makes it possible to extend the service of filling stations and provide a cheaper version of spacecraft filling for launching customer without additional outside organization. Comparative analysis of factors is used to study the possibility of full unification of filling stations. These factors determine the filling characteristics of rocket propellant components for spacecraft and upper stages.

These factors are:

• design features of the propellant systems of spacecraft and upper stages;

• nomenclature of propellant components and compressed gases used for spacecraft filling;

• filling technology;

• filling equipment.

The obtained results confirmed the almost complete identity of technological operations of spacecraft filling and upper stages and the equipment used to spacecraft filling, which is the basis for the design of standardized and, thus, cheaper filling stations.