Device for damping the lateral forces due to jet separation acting on a rocket engine nozzle

A device for damping the lateral forces due to jet separation acting on a rocket engine nozzle during a stage of said engine being started or stopped, the engine having a combustion chamber in which combustion gas is generated, a nozzle connected to the combustion chamber in which a supersonic flow of combustion gas occurs, and at least two identical drive assemblies mounted on the nozzle in order to take up the lateral forces acting thereon, each drive assembly comprising:

• a first member forming a strut having a first end hinged to the nozzle;
• a second member forming an anchor structure with a first end hinged to the combustion chamber and a second end hinged to a second end of the strut;
• and
• an actuator having a first end for hinging to a stationary structure of the rocket and a second end hinged to the second end of the anchor structure;
• wherein each strut comprises:
• a rigid element secured to both ends of the strut;
• an element that is longitudinally deformable under compression or extension force, secured to both ends of the strut, and comprising a tube extending in a said longitudinal direction of the strut and presenting a plurality of circumferential slots;
• and
• means for separating the rigid element from at least one of the two ends of the strut when the lateral forces acting on the corresponding actuator exceed a determined force threshold such that the strut acts as a rigid strut so long as the lateral forces acting on the actuator remain below the determined force threshold, and as an element for peak limiting force and for dissipating residual kinetic energy once the forces acting on the actuator exceed the determined force threshold.