CASE STUDY: Thrust Vector Actuator 

Overview 

Thrust vector control is one of the least forgiving jobs an actuator can be given: it has to position accurately, survive severe flight loads, and keep working from the moment of ignition through ascent, with no opportunity to intervene if something goes wrong. This case study covers a pair of electromechanical actuators developed to do exactly that on a payload-carrying rocket. 

Customer Challenge 

The customer required a pair of precision actuators to control and guide the nozzle of a launch thruster on a payload-carrying rocket. These actuators needed to deliver accurate positioning under extreme conditions, ensuring reliable thrust vector control during ascent and maintaining structural integrity within the demanding environment of space launch operations. 

Our Solution 

Working in close collaboration with the customer and exchanging detailed CAD models, we engineered the actuator body to fit within a highly constrained envelope while meeting demanding operational requirements. The design incorporated a brushless DC motor and an integral high-integrity ball-screw, both housed within the limited space. 

Extensive finite element analysis (FEA) was performed to validate structural integrity under severe launch and flight loads, while motor performance was optimised to maximise efficiency within these challenging conditions. 

Working in pairs, Thrust Vectoring Actuators (TVAs) like this one direct a rocket nozzle's thrust to manoeuvre the vehicle on its ascent. Our original TVA designs were developed primarily for missile applications, and in recent years we've re-purposed that same range to provide thrust vector actuators for commercial space launchers carrying across the same core motor-and-ballscrew architecture, hand-wound copper cores, and epoxy-impregnated windings we use across our wider electromechanical actuator range. 

Technical Highlights 

• Paired actuators for thrust vector control
• Brushless DC motor + ball-screw
• FEA-validated under launch loads
• Constrained envelope, missile-derived design
• Re-purposed for commercial space launchers