ONERA/CNES co-operation

Citation

(1999), "ONERA/CNES co-operation", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 71 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.1999.12771cab.005

ONERA/CNES co-operation

ONERA/CNES co-operation

Keywords Aerospace industry, CNES, ONERA

Following the signing of a partnership agreement on 28 April, 1998, between French space agency CNES and French aerospace research organisation ONERA, its permanent liaison committee has recently set up a Technical Steering Committee to co-ordinate all operational aspects. In response to a request by French Government ministers, the organisation reviewed the setting up of joint teams focusing on shared competencies in spacecraft and launcher engineering. Over 50 researchers at CNES, ONERA and in universities and company laboratories are said to be currently working on launcher acoustics and solid-propellant propulsion. In spacecraft engineering, co-operation between these entities is said to be undertaken on a case-by-case basis. Activities lending themselves to co-operation include both operational actions and technical support in the sciences of the universe, earth sciences, earth observation, telecommunications and navigation.

In launcher engineering cooperation will, it is reported, be extended to major areas of R&T. We understand that a steering committee, chaired by CNES, will define and propose joint actions. Four areas are said to have been identified, these are: internal aerodynamics in solid-propellant propulsion systems, induced acoustic and environmental conditions at lift-off, aerodynamics of boat-tails and nozzles, application of robust control methods to launcher flight control.

In spacecraft engineering, the committee decided that the first co-operation effort should be in space optics, an area in which both CNES and ONERA have large teams. A Steering Committee, chaired by CNFS, will supervise this work.

We understand that other areas of co-operation in launcher and spacecraft engineering are under consideration. These include liquid propulsion, digital simulation of structural dynamics, space environments and satellite-based surveillance.