Aurora Avionics, based in Scotland, has signed an agreement to supply the Engine Control Unit (ECU) and Power Distribution Unit (PDU) for an autophage rocket engine under development by European startup Alpha Impulsion. In this propulsion concept, the vehicle's own structure is consumed as propellant during flight, cutting the deadweight that must be carried and potentially reducing launch costs.
The ECU will serve as the engine's central control system, processing data and issuing commands to keep operation safe and accurate. The PDU will handle electrical power distribution across the propulsion system's components, ensuring each part is supplied throughout the flight. Aurora Avionics is developing both units around Alpha Impulsion's specific engine requirements, drawing on its existing background in guidance, control and flight electronics.
Alpha Impulsion was founded in 2022 and operates with teams in France and Italy, drawing on expertise from across the European aerospace sector. Aurora Avionics is also supplying electronics to Spain's Pangea Aerospace for its aerospike engine programme, part of a broader push by the company to apply a common avionics architecture across multiple propulsion programmes rather than developing bespoke systems for each vehicle.
Source: Aerospace Testing International — read the original article