Linear Actuators for Student Liquid Rocket Thrust Control

Industry Sector: Aerospace engineering and propulsion systems.
Application Area: Thrust vector control and electromechanical linear technology.

Thomson, a brand of Regal Rexnord, is supporting the student initiative Elara Aerospace at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) with high-precision linear technology. For the development of a liquid-fueled methalox rocket, Thomson, in collaboration with its sister brands Boston Gear and Kollmorgen, is supplying key actuator components for active flight and thrust vector control.

System Architecture and Electromechanical Actuation
The engine alignment architecture integrates two precision linear actuators from the Thomson PC series, which are coupled with AKM13D servomotors from Kollmorgen and Micron NemaTRUE planetary gearheads from Boston Gear. This electromechanical assembly is responsible for the exact spatial alignment of the rocket engines. The actuators are based on a ball screw concept and enable a mechanical pivoting movement within a defined action range of ±5 degrees to ensure highly precise and repeatable course corrections within limited space.

Component Testing and Mission Profile
To offer the development team maximum flexibility in verifying the control systems, the actuators were supplied as modularly testable individual components. The hardware is currently being evaluated on dedicated development platforms for engine control. The overarching goal of the Elara mission is to develop the first fully reusable student liquid rocket capable of reaching an altitude of over 100 kilometers and transporting a scientific payload of up to 100 kg into suborbital space.

Additional Context: This section details technical specifications not included in the original announcement.
In aerospace engineering, the active alignment of engine thrust for flight control is known as Thrust Vector Control (TVC). Instead of using aerodynamic control surfaces, which are ineffective in the vacuum of space or at high altitudes (such as the Kármán line at 100 km), the TVC system pivots the entire combustion chamber or engine nozzle using electromechanical actuators. A ball screw converts the servomotor's torque into a linear push or pull force, with steel balls rolling between the threaded spindle and the nut, significantly increasing mechanical efficiency compared to conventional trapezoidal threads. Furthermore, Elara Aerospace's rocket design utilizes a "methalox" propellant mixture (liquid methane as fuel and liquid oxygen as oxidizer). Methalox burns extremely cleanly and minimizes soot deposition (coking) in the engine cooling channels, which is a fundamental thermophysical prerequisite for the reliable reusability of rocket engines.

Edited by Lekshman Ramdas, Induportals editor – adapted by AI.

www.thomsonlinear.com