EXPERT: The ESA experimental re-Entry test-bed: System overview

Abstract

EXPERT is developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) in order to provide the scientific community with quality data on critical aero-thermodynamic phenomena encountered during hypersonic flights as well as to provide industry with system experience of re-entry vehicle manufacturing and development of hypersonic instrumentation. EXPERT is equipped with 14 experiments provided by several scientific institutions all around Europe. The experiments address the following phenomena: TPS material characterization, surface catalysis and oxidation, plasma spectroscopy, laminar to turbulent transition, flow separation and reattachment, shock-boundary layer interactions, base flow characteristic and aerodynamic characterization of flap control surfaces. The paper focus on the status of the EXPERT project: the design activities and the on going manufacturing, the main challenges and the expected flight data results. EXPERT will benefit future atmospheric re-entry activities ranging from cargo to human orbital transportation systems as well as re-usable launchers and scientific probes.

Design Evolution and AHP-based Historiography of Lifting Reentry Vehicle Space Programs

“…6 EXPERT was supported by several aerothermodynamics facilities throughout Europe, equipped with 14 experiments provided by several scientific institutions all around Europe. 140,141 EXPERT performed several flight tests as a precursor to the IXV technical demonstrator, providing important data for aerothermodynamics and thermal management disciplines.…”

Diffusion bonding of the C/SiC ceramic matrix composite

“…Due to the extreme refractoriness of carbon in non-oxidising environments and the very high oxidation resistance of SiC due to the lowest diffusivity of oxygen in SiO 2 , continuous carbon fibre reinforced SiC (C/SiC) ceramic matrix composite is a well known damage tolerant high temperature material for upcoming hypersonic systems. In the recent past, the nose cap and thermal protection system of the Intermediate Experimental Vehicle (IXV), 2,3 the nose cap and the open flap of the European experimental re-entry test bed (EXPERT), 4 truncated conical frame of Unmanned Space Vehicle (USV-I), 5 full vehicle construction of the Sustained Hypersonic Flight Experiment (SHyFE), 6 actively-cooled composite combustion chamber for the LEA experimental vehicle, 7 the leading edges of the Sharp Edge Flight Experiment (SHEFEX) vehicle 8 are made up of C/ SiC composite. Since the C/SiC composite is used in the real structure, the most critical factor is the joining of the structure.…”

Numerical Simulations of Nonequilibrium Flows over Rounded Models at Reentry Speeds.

“…The first stage of the work focuses on flows around a spherical-nosed cylinder at Ma = 5, 10 and 20 and Kn = 0.06 and 0.5. The second stage is to simulate the flows over the European eXPErimental Re-entry Test-bed (EXPERT) model [1], where the flow regimes, correspond to those of the expected descent trajectory, 90 km down to 60 km. The EXPERT reentry vehicle was developed to provide the scientific community with quality data that can be used to improve tools for the design of hypersonic vehicles.…”