LEROS
{{Short description|Family of chemical rocket engines}}
{{for|the Greek island|Leros}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}
LEROS is a family of chemical rocket engines manufactured by Nammo{{cite news|url=http://www.mynewsdesk.com/no/nammo/pressreleases/nammo-acquires-moogs-european-in-space-propulsion-businesses-2010740|title=Nammo acquires Moog's European In-Space Propulsion businesses|date=12 June 2017|publisher=MyNewsDesk|access-date=28 June 2018}} at Westcott, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom. LEROS engines have been used as primary apogee engines for telecommunications satellites such as the Lockheed Martin A2100[http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0006/27arcengine/ Spaceflight Now - LEROS 1c First Firing] as well as deep space missions such as Juno.{{cite web|last1=Amos |first1=Jonathan|title=Juno Jupiter probe gets British boost|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-19477618|publisher=BBC News|access-date=5 July 2016|date=4 September 2012}}
The family of engines derives from the LEROS 1 which was developed and qualified in the 1990s by Royal Ordnance. The in-space propulsion business was acquired by British Aerospace, then had a sequence of owners including American Pacific Corporation, Moog{{cite web|url=http://www.moog.co.uk/locations-contacts/moog-space-defence-group.html|title=Moog Space & Defence Group |website=moog.co.uk|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170222204418/http://www.moog.co.uk/locations-contacts/moog-space-defence-group.html|archive-date=22 February 2017|url-status=dead}} (from 2012) and Nammo (2017). The LEROS engines are made of niobium alloy, which is traditionally used for liquid rocket engines such as the attitude control thrusters of the Apollo Lunar Module. As of 2011, more than 70 LEROS 1 series engines had been flown successfully.{{cite web|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/leros-engine-propels-the-juno-spacecraft-on-its-historic-voyage-to-jupiter-133466283.html|title=LEROS Engine Propels the Juno Spacecraft on Its Historic Voyage to Jupiter|last=Corporation|first=American Pacific|website=prnewswire.com|access-date=2018-06-28}}
class="wikitable" border="1" |
width="80px" | Engine
! Propellant ! width="50px" | Thrust ! width="50px" | Isp ! Comments |
---|
LEROS 1c [http://www.moog.com/products/thrusters/apogee-upper-stage-thrusters/ Moog ISP Apogee/Upper Stage Thrusters] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129012448/http://www.moog.com/products/thrusters/apogee-upper-stage-thrusters/|date=2014-11-29}}
| 460 N | 325 | |
LEROS 1b
| Hydrazine / MON | 635 N | 318 | |
LEROS 2b
| MMH / MON | 407 N | 318 | |
LEROS 4
| MMH / MON | 1100 N | Developed c. 2014 for European Space Agency's (ESA) Mars Robotic Exploration Program {{cite web|last1=Werner|first1=Debra|title=Moog Sees Higher-thrust Liquid Propellant Engine as Right Fit for Mars Missions|url=http://spacenews.com/36251space-propulsion-moog-sees-higher-thrust-liquid-propellant-engine-as/|publisher=SpaceNews|access-date=5 July 2016|date=15 July 2013}} |
Uses
File:Juno Fires its Main Engine.jpg spacecraft firing its LEROS 1b engine (computer-generated image).]]
LEROS engines have been used on a number of NASA and other space agency missions:
- NEAR Shoemaker (Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous)
- Mars Global Surveyor[http://www.astronautix.com/craft/marveyor.htm Astronautix - Mars Global Surveyor] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090810180658/http://www.astronautix.com/craft/marveyor.htm|date=2009-08-10}}
- MESSENGER[http://www.spacenewsfeed.co.uk/index.php/mercury/7793-ampac-isp-engine-successfully-inserts-nasa-messenger-spacecraft-into-orbit-around-mercury Spacenews feed - NASA Mercury Messenger Orbit Insertion]
- Juno
- JCSAT-5A[http://www.spaceflight101.com/va-206-ariane-5-mission.html Spaceflight101 - Ariane 5 Flight VA206] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130212020826/http://www.spaceflight101.com/va-206-ariane-5-mission.html|date=2013-02-12}}
- Sirius 4
- Nimiq 1[http://www.astronautix.com/craft/as2100.htm Astronautix - A2100 Platform] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130719070852/http://www.astronautix.com/craft/as2100.htm |date=2013-07-19}}
- SBIRS GEO 1 and GEO 2[http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/sbirs-high.htm Skyrocket - SBIRS Geo 1][http://www.spaceflight101.com/atlas-v-sbirs-geo-2-launch-updates.html Spaceflight101 - Atlas V SBIRS Geo 2 Launch] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140913194525/http://www.spaceflight101.com/atlas-v-sbirs-geo-2-launch-updates.html |date=2014-09-13}}
- Intelsat 33e
- Beresheet lunar lander{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-47313486|title=Israel's Beresheet robot sets its sights on the Moon|author=Jonathan Amos |publisher=BBC News|date=21 February 2019}}
There have been helium check valve problems on Juno leading to postponed maneuvers, and a failure after the first burn on Intelsat 33e requiring backup low-thrust jets to be used to bring the satellite to its intended orbit.{{cite news|url=http://spaceflightnow.com/2017/01/30/intelsat-satellite-in-service-after-overcoming-engine-trouble/|title=Intelsat satellite in service after overcoming engine trouble|author=Stephen Clark|publisher=Spaceflight Now|date=30 January 2017|access-date=31 January 2017}}
References
{{Portal|Spaceflight}}
{{Reflist}}
{{Orbital spacecraft rocket engines}}
Category:Rocket engines of the United Kingdom
Category:Science and technology in Buckinghamshire
Category:Spacecraft propulsion