Convergencia Research, Consultoría especializada en Latinoamérica y Caribe
Thursday, October 29, 2020

VENG prepares VLE for 2024, the first milestone on a promising path for local industry launchers

The firm is the executing arm of the CONAE (Argentine National Commission for Space Activities). The design and manufacture is divided into three parts: flight segment, ground, and operations services. Each stage has a life cycle, which begins with the study of concepts, followed by assembly, integration and testing. Meanwhile, a private venture, run by LIA Aerospace, is advancing to launch low-orbit satellites.

The acronym "VENG" refers to "New Generation Space Vehicle, in Spanish". This state company, controlled by the CONAE (National Commission for Space Activities), is its executing arm for initiatives such as the Saocom 1A and 1B observation satellites (the latter launched at the end of August by Space X from Cape Canaveral) and the various technology of launchers developed in recent years. The first milestone with satellite capacity will be the VLE, ??around 2024, and the Tronador III, two years later.

Within the framework of the ISCUL (Light Payload Satellite Injector) program, a team of more than 130 people from VENG is dedicated to the construction of satellite launchers, as well as the development of the base and launch services at the Manuel Belgrano Space Center, located in Coronel Rosales, near Bahía Blanca. According to what Pablo Hollar, manager of Access to Space at VENG, the VLE, ??of 20 tons, and the Tronador III, of 90 tons, will be used to launch satellites for low orbit, in the range of 300 to 700 km from Earth, told Convergencia.

“The big challenge in building a launcher is getting to a certain speed. To generate it, complex motors with very high mass efficiency have to be built; and 90% of the weight of the launcher is fuel or propellant, and the remaining 10%, structure, electronics, etc. That is why the design of a launcher is very complex. Furthermore, as the technology is not transferable between companies or countries, the challenge of generating these efficiencies with local development is added”, Hollar highlighted.

The design and manufacture is divided into three parts: flight segment, ground, and operations services. Each stage has a life cycle, which begins with the study of concepts, followed by assembly, integration and testing (see separate graphics). In recent years, VENG undertook experimental missions with smaller vehicles (Vex1-A and Vex-1 B in 2014, and Vex5-A in 2017): as part of a high technological risk activity, the Vex1-A had a failure at takeoff; the Vex1-B managed to complete the mission and validate the technologies; and the Vex-5 fulfilled its mission 70% due to an engine shutdown failure.

Systems are now being developed, including engineering and manufacturing, and work is underway for VLE trials, in addition to tasks for the operation of the ground segment of this first launcher. All this, as Hollar pointed out, is carried out in the different VENG headquarters in the country: the one in Córdoba is dedicated to manufacturing, propulsion and avionics; that of CABA, to structures, mechanics, aerodynamics and thermal; that of Villa Elisa, to electronics; that of Pipinas, to manufacturing; that of Bahía Blanca, to the launch base; and that of Tolhuin, to antennas.

The LIA Aerospace venture. LIA Aerospace was created a year ago, with 100% Argentine capital, and today it operates with 14 employees. It aims to provide state-of-the-art services for satellites up to 200 kg, taking advantage of the bottleneck experienced by large launch companies today due to the boom in low-orbit constellations.

Federico Brito, COO of the company, confided to Convergencialatina that to validate the technology, it is necessary to go through four development stages. They are currently finishing the first one, which consists of creating a rocket called "Zonda", capable of reaching 20 km of flight altitude to test different aspects: shutdown and purge in flight, telemetry, launch ramp, remote charging system, and communication with a computer on Earth, among others.

“We estimate to finish this rocket in a few months and obtain the necessary permits from ANAC and the opening of the flight space to test it. This would be the only one of the rockets that returns with a parachute,” explained Brito.

The second stage consists of a team with the same design as the previous one, but with the power to deploy, fly and return (LIA Aerospace focuses on reusable devices). Thirdly, there will be a sub orbital flight and lastly a commercial orbital flight in Leo. This fourth instance is estimated for 2023 or 2024, although it depends on financing.

The initial investment amounts to US$ 100,000: a first amount was allocated to the construction of a test bench and two propulsion systems. 80% of the first Zonda rocket is built, and the engine achieved thrust readings of nearly two tons. The company also has a fuel plant (90% of the weight of a launcher is fuel) and manufactures its own components, with experts in electronics, avionics, simulation, orbital calculation and heat transfer.

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