EDMONTON, Alberta, June 09, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Space Engine Systems Inc. (SES) is currently building the HELLO-1 Experimental, a Mach 5 Hypersonic vehicle using Air Breathing Turbo-Ram jet engines. The vehicle is undergoing full scale ground testing in preparation for flight testing this year. The HELLO-1 X is piloted, with a remotely piloted option.
Overview: https://youtu.be/Q2c2NxQo5gY
The biggest challenge to success in hypersonic flight, for both commerce and defence, is heat. The World’s first Full Scale Heated Wing Up Bending Testing of the entire vehicle is being prepared. It will exceed the hypersonic mission design profile loads by 135% under full heated condition and 150% at ambient condition with a ramp rate from 30 to 60 seconds. The cockpit will be pressurized during the testing, adding to the severe loads. The HAF test facility is a mobile test platform in critical areas. It will operate from ambient temperature up to 1,400 deg Celsius using heated air generated by modified single and multiple jet engines. It can move 80 kg/second of heated air or multiples of this as required while bending under full load. The vehicle can be pulled out, cooled, and subjected to heat quickly by moving it back into the HAF facility. This will allow for cyclic load testing. NDT is done at the HAF facility upon completion of full load testing.
The HELLO-1 X is 60 feet long and the air frame will be enclosed within the chamber subjecting the complete airframe to heat, simulating flight conditions. This will validate the structural thermal effects from the fluid thermal structure CFD modeling. The thermal gradient of the entire frame behaves differently. Coupled with bending we closely simulate full scale flight conditions reliably. The windshield’s capability to handle temperature without any failure and to cool down and test for cracks on the skin. We will observe the complete aerothermoelastic test of the skin during this test process. We will also determine the life of avionics and hydraulic systems in typical flight conditions during this testing.
The most important factor is that we can do all this testing quickly, obtaining reliable results before the complexities of flight testing.
The vehicle will be ready for flight testing this year; however, there may be delay in getting approvals to be allowed to fly. We are focussed on flight from one of the United States supersonic corridors subject to FAA and other regulatory approvals. However, options in the UK and Canada are also being considered so that we may fly as soon as possible. The demonstration of successful and sustained hypersonic flight will be a breakthrough for the aerospace industry.
The HAF mobile testing may be offered to other companies for hypersonic and other structural bending under heated conditions, matching various mission profiles.
Space Engine Systems Ltd (A UK company) has a facility at the Cornwall Spaceport, to expedite getting into the hypersonic market quickly in the UK. It will focus mainly on defense requirements and hypersonic flights.
Space Engine Systems USA, Inc. is considering various opportunities for hypersonic, point to point, suborbital and LEO from the USA. It is expected the first hypersonic test flight will take place from the USA.
Due to the very high specific impulse (Isp) of air breathing engines we are certain we can go to suborbital and LEO at a fraction of the cost compared to rockets. The HELLO-1 and HELLO-2 space vehicles will be moving towards manufacturing shortly thereafter. All SES vehicles are 100% reusable, that take off like any plane and land like as a conventional aircraft from any airports around the world. It is simple, affordable and will rapidly become a mature technology with extreme reliability for space exploration, point to point and suborbital.
Our ultimate goal is the Lunar Mission.
Web: www.spaceenginesystems.com
Media contact: info@spaceenginesystems.com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f6a45655-3671-48c6-b37b-b515042e7554
