The European Space Agency’s Space Rider (SR) program takes a new, decisive step forward toward flight. Following recent successes with the Nose qualification, verification activities focused on another crucial subsystem for atmospheric re-entry: the Body Flap Assembly (BFA).
This component represents a significant engineering and technological challenge, combining structural, thermal, and mechanical requirements. Made of ISiComp®, the ceramic composite material developed by CIRA in partnership with Petroceramics, the Flap is secured to the vehicle structure via two Titanium alloy Ti6Al4V supports manufactured at CIRA using Additive Manufacturing technology.
The technological pivot point of the entire assembly lies in the integration between the mobile and fixed parts of the TPS (Thermal Protection System): between the Flap and the Hinge TPS, there are complex advanced sealing systems made by the company Insul.Tecno, along with other high-temperature insulating components. Their function is dual and critical: to hermetically seal the system to protect internal structures from the ultra-high temperature plasma flow enveloping the vehicle, while simultaneously not hindering Flap mobility, ensuring that control surfaces can move freely.
To validate such a complex system, an extensive test campaign, representative of over 24 complete flights, was conducted at the Pluslab facilities in Bergamo. The objective was not only to verify robustness but to demonstrate the Flap’s perfect functionality and its interaction with the seal in every operating condition. specifically, the BFA was subjected to three types of tests:
- Static Tests, aimed at ensuring the structural resistance of the assembly under maximum expected loads.
- Kinematic Tests, necessary to evaluate Flap mobility, even under load, and conduct an in-depth analysis of all friction present in the system.
- Fatigue Tests, during which a variable load was applied to the Flap, representative of the real cyclic stresses the vehicle will encounter during the atmospheric re-entry phase.
The results confirmed the full integrity and operability of the component. Data analysis demonstrated that, even under the heaviest load conditions, reproduced in the laboratory using a mass of over 530 kg, and in the presence of friction generated by the seals, the control surface is capable of working perfectly. This is a fundamental building block for the completion of the Space Rider Re-entry Module, Europe's first reusable space transport system.