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NEWS 2003

December 17, 2003 - DRAGASANI
The first reaction chamber and nozzle for the Demonstrator 2 vehicle was completed. This will be the first European monopropellant rocket engine integrally constructed from composite materials. The tests with this engine will start in January 2004.

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December 3-6, 2003 – FRANKFURT
ARCA team leader, Dumitru Popescu, participated in Frankfurt, Germany at the Euromold Fair. During this event german team leader Mathias Ditsch presented the major objectives for the Euromold X Prize Team. Dumitru Popescu presented the lecture: “Applied Research in Rocket Propulsion”.

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November 13, 2003 - DRAGASANI
Today we completed the tests of Light Propulsion Test Platform - LPTP. The objective was to test the monopropellant system for Demonstrator 2 vehicle. We achieved all objectives: almost complete decomposition of 60% concentration hydrogen peroxide (we did not extract the stabilizer from it), optimization of the catalyst bed, full pressure and thrust. After those important achievements we will start the tests with the Demonstrator 2 engine.

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October 17-18, 2003 - CALIMANESTI
ARCA participated to the conference: "Progresses in cryogenics and isotope separations" held in Calimanesti-Romania. At the event we presented one rocket engine, a model of the Demonstrator 2 engine, and posters.

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September 30, 2003 - BUCHAREST
ARCA has a new sponsor, the ROMPETROL Company. For more details about our new partner, visit: www.rompetrol.com

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September 27, 2003 - DRAGASANI
ARCA presented the DEMONSTRATOR 2 vehicle together with it's launch complex. At the event were invited guests from Romania, and other countries, press, as well as 1000 peoples. ARCA and Dragasani City Hall organized the event.

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September 24-27, 2003 - DRAGASANI
A team of two journalists from German magazine GEO spent 3 days with ARCA team. Writer Wolfgang Bauer and photographer Marc Steinmetz joined the team members during the September 27 event preparations.

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September 23, 2003 - RAMNICU VALCEA
For the 27 September event, ARCA received a message from X PRIZE Chairman, Dr. Peter Diamandis. At the event, the message was read by the US Embassy official, Mr. Jonathan Brody.

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September 6, 2003 - RAMNICU VALCEA
On September 27, 2003, between 17:00 and 20:30, the ARCA team will show in Dragasani (Valcea county) the whole launch system for the new technological demonstrator of the Orizont vehicle. The system includes the demonstrator itself, the launch pad, the fuel transfer facility and other terrestrial infrastructure equipments. The show will take place in front of Dragasani City Hall and it will be open for the public.

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September 4, 2003 - DRAGASANI
Today we completed the launch pad for the technological demonstrator. Its dimension is calculated to ensure a sufficient speed for the demonstrator so the vehicle becomes aerodynamically stabilized.

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July 1, 2003 - BUCHAREST
ARCA has a new sponsor, Prosoft Solutions (PSS), a Romanian software company. For more details about our new partner, please visit: www.pss.ro

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June 2, 2003 - BUCHAREST
ARCA and the Orizont Program is featured in the "Science for Everyone" magazine. The magazine is available on press centers.

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May 13, 2003 - DRAGASANI
ARCA started the work to the launch pad of the technological demonstrator. It has 16 m high, 3.5 m wide, weights 600 kg and is made of steel rectangular tubes. The first photos with the technological demonstrator on the launch pad will be published in august.

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April 30, 2003 - BUCHAREST
ARCA's Chairman Dumitru Popescu presented to the CODECS Club-Bucharest, the Orizont Program. The initiative was a success, some members of the Club wanted to sustain ARCA's effort in the X Prize Competition.

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April 4, 2003 - DRAGASANI
For the first time ARCA tested the LPTP. The catalyst bed decomposed the hydrogen peroxide properly. A new test is planed at the end of this month.

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March 30, 2003 - DRAGASANI
LPTP is fully operational. This platform is designed to support liquid/hybrid fuel rocket engine. For liquid propulsion tests, LPTP may use monopropellant or bipropellant with a minor injection head adjustment. The hydrogen peroxide oxidizer is the same for both propulsion modes, but the fuel is differed (T1/polyester).

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March 6, 2003 - DRAGASANI
We improved the LPTP in order to use it with different propellants. The structure is now modular.

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March 4, 2003 - DRAGASANI
A small team from ARCA started to develop a low cost Light Propulsion Test Platform - LPTP. The current objective is to investigate several propulsion modes for ORIZONT in order to lower costs and to increase safety.

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February 8, 2003 - RAMNICU VALCEA
ARCA released its new website: www.arcaspace.ro

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February 4, 2003 - RAMNICU VALCEA
ARCA sent a message to the X Prize Foundation to enssure mass media that in spite of the loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia "ARCA will continue in the X PRIZE Competition! The loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia crew is very painful, but all members of the ARCA X PRIZE Team want to continue their work…The Soyuz program cost lives as did the Apollo and Shuttle programs. No one wants to go backwards. Why now? We also must take into account that in the X PRIZE Competition the tasks are much smaller than those imposed on an orbital flight. We are about to take new steps into space flight. The private industry is ready!" - Dumitru Popescu ARCA Chairman.

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February 1, 2003 - RAMNICU VALCEA
ARCA's Chairman offered sincere condolences to the X Prize Foundation and to all American Teams for the loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia's crew.

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