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This Paper summarizes the main results of the firing operations performed by the Liquid Apogee Engine (LAE) of ITALSAT F1 spacecraft that has been launched Jan. 15,91. This evaluation represents the final check step of the thermal design activities on the LAE & Thermal Shield Assembly and of the firing control strategy definition presented on the Paper: “Thermal Design, testing and firing control strategy of the Liquid Apogee Engine & thermal Shield Assembly for the ITALSAT program” included in the SAE's 20th ICES conference (1990). The ITALSAT mission has been characterized by two LAE firing operations to place the spacecraft in the final geosynchronous orbit; each firing duration being about 37 minutes.

A failure during the Liquid Apogee Engine (LAE) firing with Thermal Shield, forced Selenia Spazio to critically review the thermal design concept of the LAE/Shield Assembly of ITALSAT Program. This review led to: the change of Thermal Shield design criteria (in order to increase the safety margin on the LAE firing temperatures); the identification of thermal failure modes of the utilized LAE (together with the contribution of many other US and European LAE utilizers and of LAE Supplier as well); the definition and implementation of a LAE Firing Control Strategy. This Paper describes the performed efforts and the resulting engineering considerations.