ThrustMe and the von Karman Institute expand space testing capabilities with a new facility integrating the LTA100 particle flow generator
ThrustMe and the von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics (VKI), with the support of the European Space Agency, are excited to announce the success of the acceptance campaign of the new DRAG-ON facility, “Dual-chamber for RArefied Gases and ON-ground testing” which integrates the LTA100 particle generator. This revolutionary device, developed by ThrustMe, expands the testing capabilities of the von Karman Institute and makes it possible to reproduce the environment of the ionosphere and upper atmosphere for testing new propulsion concepts, as well as qualifying space hardware ahead of launch. With this new facility, the VKI can now simulate the high speed, low density flow that a spacecraft would encounter in Earth Orbit at an altitude of approximately 200 km - intermediate between the "Kármán line" (100 km) and the orbit of the International Space Station (400 km), opening a variety of opportunities for developing air-breathing propulsion systems.