| News Update - May 2010 | ||
2010: Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
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| Company News |
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To date, the REL Production Facility has inspected almost 18000 tubes and approximately one third of the total is ready for assembly into the Pre-cooler modules. This month a large Heat Exchanger for the helium loop was delivered to REL’s test facility. This hardware will be tested at B9 in mid-2011. |
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Firecrest Engine Testing As reported last month, Airborne Engineering and the University of Bristol conducted a number of shake-down tests of their experimental hybrid rocket engine, called Firecrest. The Firecrest engine burns high-density polythene fuel with nitrous oxide and can be fitted with either a conventional nozzle or an Expansion/Deflection (ED) Nozzle. It will be used in the Canary test rocket to discover the behaviour of ED nozzles in a high-speed air flow. All of last month’s seven preliminary tests used a conventional conical nozzle. This month the team test fired an ED nozzle for the first time. Unfortunately, the experimental graphite nozzle suffered a failure a short time after ignition. Despite the failure, there are no risks to plans or schedule and a redesign of the nozzle is under way. |
 Ignition of Firecrest with Expansion/Deflection Nozzle at the start of the first static test firing
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| General News | |
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Latest Movie - Project Troy The latest REL movie on Project TROY was completed this month. The Company has devised a Mars mission scenario where SKYLON is used as the launch vehicle to Earth orbit. The aim of the movie is demonstrate how a feasible, affordable, practical and safe mission to Mars can be achieved using SKYLON to enable a team of explorers to land at three sites and explore over 90% of the surface. This mission architecture also creates the infrastructure to support further missions. The Project TROY movie shows what a Mars mission would look like and how it would be constructed and performed. See the movie on the website now: |
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Don’t forget that you can also watch the SKYLON Personnel/Logistics Module (SPLM) movie, narrated by Brian Blessed, on the website. The SPLM movie visualizes how humans could be transported by SKYLON. Click here for a look: |
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| We welcome Vince Cable to his new position as Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, and President of the Board of Trade and David Willetts as Minister for Universities and Science. | ||
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