Tronador LSA
 
 

Comision Nacional de Actividades Espaciales (CONAE) * Vehiculos space Nueva Generation (VENG)

 

Argentina has two orbital LV projects. One is the hypergolic project form the civil space agency, CONAE, commonly known as the TRONADOR Project, or more correctly ISCUL (Inyector Satelital de Cargas Utiles y Livianas, or Satellite Injector of Useful and Light Payloads).
The second project is from the Ministry of Defense, it has a project to develop a "big" solid rocket AGUILA.

Tronador-III LSA

 

CONAE revealed in 2015 that the new Tronador III would be a vehicle with 2 stages, a height of 35 meters, a diameter of 2.5 meters and a weight of 89 tons at the time of takeoff, with the ability to payload weight of up to 1000 kg for a LEO orbit between 400 and 600 km altitude.

The first stage of the vehicle consists of 4 engines each with 30 tons of thrust, which corresponds to a total thrust of 120 tons. The engines use kerosene (KC1) as the fuel and liquid oxygen (LOX) as the oxidant with regenerative cooling. Each of these 30-ton thrust engines consumes 123 liters of fuel per second, which is pumped into the combustion chamber by a system of turbopumps powered by turbines.

 

The state-owned company YPF Technology (Y-TEC) is responsible for the development of the fuel used in the first stage of the launcher. Tronador III has two tanks of aluminum structure that can hold 34,000 liters of fuel and 45,000 liquid oxygen. The four engines produce enough power to bring the rocket to a height of 100 km in just 3 minutes.

 

Seconds after disconnecting the first stage, the upper stage ignited. It is powered by a single engine with 3 tons of thrust. Unlike the first-stage engines, the single engine uses monomethyl-hydrazine (MMH) and dinitrogen tetroxide (NTO) and consumes 8 liters per second. Its function is to lift the payload to a height of more than 400 km in order to finally transport it into orbit.

 

 

 

 

History

 

2021, November -- Within the framework of the reactivation of strategic projects, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation of the Nation (MINCyT) relaunched the "Access to Space" program carried out by the National Commission for Space Activities (CONAE), which includes the development of vehicles experimental VExs and Tronador II/III launchers, as well as associated auxiliary infrastructure and launch bases. There is a planned investment of about 4,500 million pesos in 2022.
In the first stage, the reactivation of the program will allow progress in the development of the experimental vehicles VEx 5 and VEx 6, to consolidate the necessary technologies required by the Tronador II/III projects, such as avionics, propulsion systems and structures. It is estimated that the first flight of these prototypes could take place at the end of 2023. Then the Tronador II-A is planned to be carried out with the aim of satellite payloads of up to 250 kilos at 600 kilometers high. With the following launchers, the aim is to increase the payload to reach 500 kilos with the Tronador II-B, and 750 kilos with the Tronador III.
 

2017, April  21 - On this day (local April 20) the launch of the VEX-5A was stopped after 8 seconds during the successful flight, because the fuel supply was abruptly interrupted. The rocket was fall back and explodes on ground. It is reported that the filling consisted of: 1730kg of liquid oxygen, 994kg of kerosene, 50kg of monomethylhydrazine and 95kg of nitric acid. This would mean that the VEX-5A was a two-stage vehicle.

2016, Nov. 22 - The VEX 5-A rocket test was suspended today for "technical" reasons only a few minutes before launch from the Punta Indio space base, the National Space Activities Commission reported. Apparently it was not possible to activate a valve of the pressure system a few minutes before the launch.
 

2016, Nov. 21 - In the absence of climatic inconveniences in the Samborombón Bay area, the launch of the VEX-5A Experimental Vehicle is scheduled to take place between 22 and 24 November. The VEX-5A is little more than 18 meters high, 1.5 meters in diameter with an engine power of 11 tons. It weighs 8.5 tons, and 5.5 tons when it is empty.

2016, June 05 -- The project manager Fernando Hisas (CONAE) said during a conference that the VEX 5A rocket will be launched in July or August.

2015, Nov. 16 -- It is reported that a static test of the new engine T10, used for the first stage of VEX 5A, was successful. The engine has, as expected, no turbopump. The fuel supply carried out by means of compressed gas.


2015, November -- new Tronador-II master plan
VEX 1A/1B: One stage with 4 tnf pressure fed engine (T4)
VEX 5A:        One stage with new 10 tnf pressure fed engine T10 (Kerosene/LOX)
VEX 5B:        Two stage with new pressure fed engine T10, and a other new pressure fed engine, using for the Tronador-II second stage (Monomethyl-Hydrazine/N2O4+HNO3)
VEX 5C:        Two stage with first stage 30 tnf engine T30  (Kerosene/LOX), using three times for the Tronador-II first stage, and the pressure fed engine

2014, Aug. 16 -- Last night VEX-1B was successfully launched.
Según informaron desde el Ministerio de Planificación Federal, el vehículo lanzado concretó la trayectoria programada por espacio de 27 segundos y alcanzó una altura máxima de 2200 metros.

2014, Feb. 26 -- El cohete despegó y explotó ?
El cohete de prueba del proyecto Tronador II, se lanzó esta mañana. Según nos cuentan gente cercana al proyecto se habría elevado 2 metros y explotó. Sin anuncios oficiales y con varios meses de demora, fue lanzado de manera fallida el cohete VEX-1A que iba a ser utilizado para probar sistemas de navegación.
En enero se había abortado el lanzamiento cuando falló una manguera de combustible, desde entonces no se hicieron nuevos anuncios. Aunque siendo un cohete de prueba estaba previsto que lo finalmente ocurrido pudiera pasar.
CONAE says the vehicle didn't explode. They say the engine started but the "take off didn't happen".
Conrado Varotto, Executive Director of CONAE, said ealier in an interview, that CONAE had conducted three tests of the engine on the ground, all three unsuccessful, with a fourth test planned for mid-December (2013). The engine exploded in the first two tests, due to liquid fuel leaks, and failed on the third, due to materials problems with the exhaust. Varotto noted that CONAE has no intention of attempting a launch until the engine is thoroughly and successfully tested on the ground.


2013, Nov. 10 -- Apparently CONAE did a press day in Las Pipinas, Punta de Indio, Buenos Aires Province with the VEX-1, the first technological demonstrator for the Tronador II project. Apparently it's, basically, the upper stage, with a flight GNC, and the mission objective is to demonstrate the avionics (GNC). They are planning a total of 6 demonstrator missions. The plan is to launch on 2015 Sept NET for the orbital capable Tronador II Tecnológico (this might imply a technology demonstrator).

VEX 1: Length: 14.5 m; Weight: 2.8 tonnes; Propellant: Fuel: Monomethyl-Hydrazine; Oxidizer: N2O4+HNO3

The first experimental rocket VEX from the Tronador-II project will be tested before the end of November (2013), according to Argentina's CONAE. The launch has been ready for months, but success is dependent on climate and atmospheric conditions, which made the agency wait until the austral spring, said Executive Director Conrado Varotto.
The Argentine government invested 55 million pesos (9 million dollars) in the construction of prototypes VEX-1A and VEX-1B. Calculations estimate the rockets will need to be propelled at 828,000 m/sec to reach 3,000 meters before descending, all in 30 seconds.

2010, Aug. 16 -- Now Argentina developing satellite launcher Tronador-II; ready by 2013 in Puerto Belgarno. The launcher could put in orbit satellites weighing between 250 and 400 kilos under the LEO orbit (which is between 200 and 1.200 kilometres).
“With the needed resources, we estimate that by 2013 we could be launching the first space vehicle”, said Conrado Varotto, CEO of Argentina’s National Committee of Space Activities, CONAE.
“Regarding the booster, at the moment we are quite advanced with the first prototype with an engine that has 30.000 kilos take off push. Probably the first launcher will be a combination of three of them”, added Varotto.
In order of CONAE  has the firm VENG (Vehículos Space Nueva Generation) a rocket designed to test an engine for liquid fuel. The thrust is 40 kN. This missile "T-4000" will be launched soon. The performance of the engine will used in the third stage of Tronador II.