Abstract: A device for thermally insulating a piece of equipment, the device including a block of thermal insulation having at least a first hole; a deformable cover made of a gastight material and surrounding the block of insulation so that the wall of the first hole is covered by the gastight cover while leaving open the ends of first hole, the cover defining, at the second end, a first opening that communicates with the first hole and a second opening that communicates with the space situated between the insulating block and the cover; and the first and second openings of the cover being closed in gastight manner with the inside of the cover under a partial vacuum.

Abstract: A spacecraft including at least one main propellant tank, a main engine fed with propellant by the main tank, and a de-orbiting device. The de-orbiting device includes a detonation engine fed with propellant by the main tank.

Abstract: A combined engine includes a turbopump including a pump injecting hydrogen into a heater arranged in an outer casing downstream from a central body, and a subsonic turbine driving the pump, which turbine receives partially-expanded hydrogen collected at an outlet from the heater to apply the hydrogen to a supersonic turbine to operate the engine as a turbojet. The hydrogen from the supersonic turbine is collected in tubes inside the central body to be sent to a combustion chamber defined downstream from the central body, while the hydrogen that is partially expanded in the subsonic turbine is sent directly to the combustion chamber via injectors to operate the engine as a ramjet.

Abstract: A device for thermally insulating a piece of equipment, the device including a block of thermal insulation having at least a first hole; a deformable cover made of a gastight material and surrounding the block of insulation so that the wall of the first hole is covered by the gastight cover while leaving open the ends of first hole, the cover defining, at the second end, a first opening that communicates with the first hole and a second opening that communicates with the space situated between the insulating block and the cover; and the first and second openings of the cover being closed in gastight manner with the inside of the cover under a partial vacuum.

Abstract: The invention relates to the field of aerospace propulsion, and more particularly to a propulsion assembly having at least one channel defined by an inner wall and an outer wall, the channel presenting an inlet opening and an outlet opening, the assembly including a plurality of rocket engines oriented axially in the channel and forming ejectors for accelerating a flow of air in the channel to supersonic speed. Downstream from the outlet opening from the channel, the inner wall forms a single expansion ramp nozzle. The invention also provides an aerospace craft and a method of propulsion using such a propulsion assembly.

Abstract: A propulsion assembly for a rocket including a tank for liquid oxygen, an engine having a combustion chamber, and a “heater” heat exchanger suitable for vaporizing liquid oxygen. The assembly has a vaporized oxygen circuit suitable for directing the oxygen vaporized by the heater either to the combustion chamber or to the tank. When the vaporized oxygen is directed to the combustion chamber, the engine advantageously develops low thrust.

Abstract: A spacecraft including at least one main propellant tank, a main engine fed with propellant by the main tank, and a de-orbiting device. The de-orbiting device includes a detonation engine fed with propellant by the main tank.

Abstract: The jet (40) has an air-fuel combustion chamber (42) and a plurality of rocket engines (11) arranged upstream from the combustion chamber (42), each rocket engine having its own combustion chamber with the wall thereof being cooled by lateral injection of fuel through said wall.

Abstract: A combined engine includes a turbopump including a pump injecting hydrogen into a heater arranged in an outer casing downstream from a central body, and a subsonic turbine driving the pump, which turbine receives partially-expanded hydrogen collected at an outlet from the heater to apply the hydrogen to a supersonic turbine to operate the engine as a turbojet. The hydrogen from the supersonic turbine is collected in tubes inside the central body to be sent to a combustion chamber defined downstream from the central body, while the hydrogen that is partially expanded in the subsonic turbine is sent directly to the combustion chamber via injectors to operate the engine as a ramjet.

Abstract: The tank comprises a variable volume chamber containing a liquid and defined by a wall; and a piston suitable for moving in the tank under thrust from powder gas at a temperature much higher than that of the liquid in order to decrease the volume of the chamber. The tank also comprises a deformable elastomer membrane pressed against a face of the piston outside the chamber, the membrane being suitable for thermally protecting the wall and for providing sealing between the piston and the wall.

Abstract: The bundle comprises two pairs of same-volume cylindrical tanks, each pair comprising two tanks containing a same-density propellant suitable for flowing at the same volume flow rate, the four tanks being fastened directly to one another via reinforcing hoops in such a manner that the center of gravity of each of said pairs remains continuously on the axis of said bundle while the propellants are flowing.

Abstract: The jet (40) has an air-fuel combustion chamber (42) and a plurality of rocket engines (11) arranged upstream from the combustion chamber (42), each rocket engine having its own combustion chamber with the wall thereof being cooled by lateral injection of fuel through said wall.

Abstract: The bundle comprises two pairs of same-volume cylindrical tanks, each pair comprising two tanks containing a same-density propellant suitable for flowing at the same volume flow rate, the four tanks being fastened directly to one another via reinforcing hoops in such a manner that the center of gravity of each of said pairs remains continuously on the axis of said bundle while the propellants are flowing.

Abstract: The tank comprises a variable volume chamber containing a liquid and defined by a wall; and a piston suitable for moving in the tank under thrust from powder gas at a temperature much higher than that of the liquid in order to decrease the volume of the chamber. The tank also comprises a deformable elastomer membrane pressed against a face of the piston outside the chamber, the membrane being suitable for thermally protecting the wall and for providing sealing between the piston and the wall.