When it comes to space travel and space exploration, safety is always a top concern of every industry player. Launches will be delayed or reschedule if any part of the rocket is not fully up to the high standards set by every team including engineering, operations, command, flight and of course emergency systems. This is to ensure the success of every mission and the safety of the payload for unmanned rockets and the crew and payload for manned missions. This includes the general public as well when a rocket’s flight plan includes flying over or landing on land or when boosters/other pieces fall back to earth.
Rockets take off from the launch point at extraordinary speeds and experience around 3Gs to escape the gravitational pull to reach their specific mission in Low Earth Orbit and Space. During this time, all systems can be running perfectly one second and the very next second experience a system failure and put the space craft and crew of a manned space craft in grave danger. From this point on, it is the function of the emergency systems to take action!
Types of Emergency Systems
Emergency systems in rockets are designed to protect the crew and vehicle in the event of a malfunction or emergency during launch or flight. These systems can include:
Abort systems: These are designed to quickly and safely separate the crew module from the rest of the rocket in case of an emergency during launch.
Emergency Oxygen System: This provides the crew with breathable air in case of a cabin depressurization.
Fire Suppression System: This system is designed to extinguish fires on board the rocket, to protect the crew and the vehicle.
Emergency Lighting: This provides lighting in case of power failure or other emergency.
Parachutes: This system deploys automatically or manually to safely land the crew module in case of emergency during flight.
Communication systems: These systems allow the crew to communicate with ground control and other emergency personnel in case of an emergency.
Additionally, rockets will have a number of sensors to detect any potential malfunctions, and a flight computer that can quickly take corrective action to minimize the risk of harm to the crew and vehicle.
Servo Drives in Emergency Systems
Servo drives are used in emergency systems in rockets to control the movement of actuators, which are responsible for performing mechanical tasks such as opening valves, deploying emergency systems or moving parts of the rocket. Servo drives use feedback from sensors to accurately control the position, speed, and torque of the actuators.
In emergency systems, servo drives are used to control the movement of emergency systems such as the abort system, which separates the crew module from the rest of the rocket in case of an emergency during launch. They are also used to control the deployment of emergency systems such as parachutes, which are used to safely land the crew module in case of an emergency during flight.
In addition, servo drives can be used to control the movement of other mechanical parts of the rocket, such as the thrust vector control system, which is responsible for controlling the direction of the rocket's thrust during flight.
The use of servo drives in emergency systems ensures that the actuators move quickly, accurately and reliably, which is critical in emergency situations where every second counts.
ESI Motion in Action
The Scorpion Servo Drive Module has been used a key component to the Escape Engine Thrust Control allowing the capsule to successfully and safely deploy from the rest of the rocket to ensure the payload was saved. Without the accuracy and precision of the Scorpion to control the escape engine thrust control, the payload could experience many different consequences that could result in great loss. Thankfully ESI Motion’s experience and testing has resulted in proven Servo Drive Technology that give clients the best results at the most mission critical moments.
ESI Motion is here to help drive the success of your space missions and space explorations. Our industry leading technology has shown what it takes to push our clients goals over the edge. For more information on our cutting edge products, visit our website at esimotion.com! Contact Us today at sales@esimotion.com or give us a call at +1.800.823.3235 to see how we can get your goals off the ground and into the next frontier.