Description du projet
Pour une industrie européenne des satellites compétitive et fiable
Alors que l’exploration spatiale gagne à nouveau en puissance et que l’internet des objets et les technologies satellitaires progressent, l’Europe se doit d’innover dans le domaine des systèmes de propulsion. Pour maintenir son avantage concurrentiel, le projet CHEOPS MEDIUM POWER, financé par l’UE, a pour objectif de fournir à l’Europe un système de propulsion électrique à effet Hall bimodal extrêmement fiable et suffisamment puissant pour effectuer les tâches de mise en orbite et de maintien à poste. Pour ce faire, il s’appuiera sur les résultats de la phase 1 de CHEOPS pour développer des pièces destinées à créer une solution moins coûteuse, de meilleure qualité, plus rapide à assembler et à fabriquer et plus durable.
Objectif
To prepare future large satellite missions, replace obsolete networks or introduce new on-board technological advances, Europe must offer to its satellite industry a competitive and highly reliable European dual mode Hall-effect Electric Propulsion System able to provide sufficient power to perform both orbit raising (7kW) and station keeping (3kW) duties.
Based on CHEOPS Phase I results, CHEOPS MEDIUM POWER will perform incremental developments on system and sub-system levels in order to achieve TRL6/7 by 2023.
CHEOPS MEDIUM POWER will further mature the different system elements (Thruster Unit, PPU, FMS) by addressing the following key challenges: non-recurring and recurring cost reduction in terms of design, manufacturing, test qualification and time to deliver, as well as propellent efficiency in order to increase valuable payload and generate revenues. These advancements will fit into a less than 10kg thruster working at both 250 and 400V. CHEOPS MEDIUM POWER will deliver for the thruster unit an optimised design for a very high thrust and improved lifecycle durations. On an industrial level the project aims at reduced fabrication cycles, improved quality, leaner manufacture, faster assembly lead times, and improved tolerance management. The Power processing unit will be optimised by removing unnecessary functions and re-selecting cheaper key components with at least constant reliability levels. The project’s scope extends to FMS level where space qualifiable COTS will be used to provide maximum mission suitability for variable number of thrusters per satellite.
CHEOPS MEDIUM POWER will have a medium-term impact on the European space industry and its overall competitiveness, but also on the satellite design and manufacturing paradigm in the long term.
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IA - Innovation actionCoordinateur
27200 Vernon
France