Hydrogen, the first element on the periodic table, is the most abundant in the universe, and it’s the lightest, but it’s rarely naturally occurring on Earth in pure form. It has many uses, including being a key ingredient in water and a potential fuel source for vehicles, and it is a popular energy carrier. Now, an ambitious project might rewrite our future, as it entails hydrogen powering missions that leave the Earth.
The space agencies behind the project: ESA and CNES
The European Space Agency (ESA) and the French Space Agency (CNES) committed €40.5 million to Project Hyguane to construct facilities at the Guiana Space Centre to create hydrogen via the solar-powered electrolysis of water. The hydrogen is used to power Europe’s newest heavy-lift rocket.
A solar farm and the necessary distribution systems were built at the spaceport to produce greener hydrogen. The facility would supply 12% of the required hydrogen for nine flights annually. With that capacity, the facility could save over 3,000 tonnes of annual carbon dioxide emissions. The newest hydrogen production facilities at the Guiana Space Center should be completed by 2026.
The hydrogen project that rewrites our future
The project centers on Europe’s latest heavy-lift rocket that delivers greater power and flexibility while being more economical. The newest launcher design will provide Europe with increased efficiency and possibilities with its ability to launch multiple missions into various orbits on a single flight, while its upper stage can deorbit itself at the end of missions. So, not only can this rocket launch massive missions to low-Earth orbit, but it also shoots daring explorers far out into deep space, rewriting our future.
The rocket is called Ariane 6, and its core stage is the largest part of the rocket, situated at its base. It is 32m in height, 5.4m in width, and weighs 23,000kg without propellants. Ariane 6 is powered by an upgraded Vulcain 2.1 engine, which burns liquid oxygen and hydrogen to produce 138 tonnes of thrust. Its core stage also includes the liquid propellant tanks that contain nearly 154 tonnes of liquid hydrogen and oxygen fuel. The tanks are strong and well-protected with insulating materials. Ariane 6’s new cryogenic tanks are manufactured with new welding techniques from a lighter mixture of aluminium and lithium material, which reduces the launcher’s mass.
It all comes together to propel the new rocket for the first 10 minutes of flight, when Earth’s gravitational pull is strongest near the surface, up to an altitude of about 200 km. Attached to the core stage are two to four P120C solid rocket boosters, each 13.5m in length and 3.4m in diameter. The P120C also serves as the first stage motor of the Vega-C rocket, burning for 130 seconds up to 70 km. One motor for two such different rockets was a crucial achievement for the industry, lowering costs and creating new opportunities for Europe’s space programme.
This is how hydrogen powers missions beyond Earth: An ambitious project
The core stage separates from the upper stage when its job is complete and returns to Earth, splashing down into the ocean. The upper stage now orbits the payload, powered by the restartable Vinci engine, fuelled by 30 tonnes of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. The upper stage can fire up to four times to drop off multiple passengers into various orbits in one flight. It then deorbits through Earth’s atmosphere at the end of its mission to avoid becoming space debris.
Ariane 6’s flexible fairing is fully adapted to complete the widest array of space missions. The fairing has two huge half-shells, created from carbon-glass fiber composite which is ‘cured’ in an industrial oven, reducing costs and speeding up production. This pioneering facility and its rocket change the space industry’s approaches by depending on renewable energy sources and lowering its overall carbon footprint.
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