Westcott Space Cluster to support satellite propulsion testing

The new centre is intended to enable companies and academics to test space propulsion engines at up to 1.5kN in high-altitude vacuum, an equivalent test altitude of 140,000ft, said the government.

It will allow new types of more sustainable propellants to be tested, such as Hydrogen Peroxide and Liquid Oxygen.

The announcement states:

The UK space sector is already a leader in satellite propulsion and, with a growing space manufacturing sector and plans for UK spaceports, the satellite propulsion field is set to grow substantially in the coming years.

Crucially, this range of engine testing will allow further innovation for the type of orbit-raising and station-keeping engines this facility will be able to test and it is the first step in a plan to test larger engine types.

Due for completion in early 2021, the facility is expected to create around 60 jobs.

Backed by a £4 million government investment, this pioneering UK-based facility will elevate our most ambitious space businesses, enabling them to undertake complex spacecraft engine testing, while boosting the local economy by creating highly skilled jobs,” said Science Minister Amanda Solloway.

• Engines will be fired up in a vacuum from early 2021, with a mechanical pump system generating a vacuum down to 1.5 milliBar in a test cell containing the engine; an equivalent test altitude of approximately 140,000ft, which ensures technology can be deemed ready for the space environment.
• When firing, the pressure of the engine’s exhaust plume is partially recovered by a 7-metre-long supersonic diffuser and then cooled by a heat exchanger designed to rapidly reduce temperatures in excess of 2,000°C to just 50°C.
• The gasses then travel along a vacuum manifold to be recovered to ambient pressure by the pump system in the vacuum generation plant.

Image: Artist’s impression of the satellite propulsion test facility.