Electric-pump Rocket Engines: Comparative analysis of the electric-pump cycle using Rocket Cycle Analysis Tool (RoCAT)

The electric-pump cycle is a rocket engine configuration that uses an electric motor to power the pumps instead of a turbine. This offers several expected advantages such as simpler design, lower development costs, and easier restartability, but comes with reduced performance compared to conventional cycles. Previous research has primarily...

Cryogenic Upper Stage Kit Optimization: Determination of optimal hardware kit configurations for payload performance enhancement of cryogenic upper stages

This thesis details the methods used to build KOTUS (Kit Optimization Tool for Upper Stages) and the application of the tool to the future evolved Ariane 6 upper stage evolution, the Multi-function Upper Stage Express (MUSE), in order to gauge the impact of selected mission-specific kit elements on its payload performance for a range of Earth...