3. Mechanical engineering

The extreme performance demands placed on space turbopumps generate extraordinary mechanical specifications, both in terms of the magnitude of the loads and their specificity. Control of mechanical robustness is therefore just as important as the ability to deliver the desired performance: in the absence of redundancy, mechanical failure of part of the turbopump will, in almost all cases, result in mission loss.

It is therefore important to be aware of potential causes of failure right from the start of mechanical design, and to take all necessary steps to improve robustness against each failure mode.

This exercise is specific to each architecture, each machine, each field of operation. However, it is possible to identify common features that can be the starting point for mechanical design thinking:

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