Project description
Helping European launchers take off
The future of the European space sector hinges on technological advancements, new entrepreneurial spirit and a strong focus on innovation. Satellite services represent the largest sector. Earth observation is the biggest user of satellite manufacturing and launch services. Supporting European space launcher development is important to ensure European independent access to space. According to the EU-funded ENLIGHTEN project, European launchers need to improve their competitiveness by halving launch price in the short term. As such, the project will increase competitiveness by preparing a demonstrator of an eco-friendly green high-thrust engine based on liquid hydrogen. The project’s overall goal is to lower the cost of launch engines with its consortium mixing aerospace actors.
Objective
The space sector is a source of economic growth, jobs and exports, participating in all Key Strategic Orientations of the EU strategic plan. Faced with growing competition and technological disruption it is vital to act in support of European space launcher development in order to preserve European independendant access to space.
Confronted with smaller market than competitors and lower launch prices, European launchers must improve their competitiveness by halving launch price in the short term. In the long term, Europe will create common building blocks for an integrated and competitive European array of launchers of all scales with reusability functionalities.
Europe must thus concentrate efforts on liquid propulsion system which can be half of the launcher cost and is an critical for reusability.
In the frame of ENLIGHTEN (European iNitiative for Low cost, Innovative & Green High Thrust Engine), the consortium will strive to increase the competitiveness of european High thrust engine by preparing a demonstrator of Green High Thrust Engine based on Liquid Hydrogen using:
• The latest advances in additive manufacturing to reduce the cost and number of engine parts
• Edge AI & machine learning algorithm to develop the first space engine Health Monitoring System in Europe necessary to implement reusability
• New low cost subsystems in Engine ignition, nozzle extension, valves and integrated flexible lines
This future demonstrator, ENLIGHTEN, will achieve its goal of developing new technologies, would be tested in the frame of a future project in the High Thrust Engine P5 test facilities of DLR.
ENLIGHTEN will achieve its goal to lower the cost of launch engines with its consortium mixing aerospace actors like ArianeGroup, AVIO, DLR and ONERA with start ups and SME working on ALM and AI as well as research organization/academia such as FraunHofer and KU Leuven and will rely on AZO to ensure dissemination of the results to benefit all industries of the EU.
Fields of science
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation ActionsCoordinator
78130 Les Mureaux
France
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Participants (17)
82234 WESSLING
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
8010 Graz
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51147 Koln
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13417 Tallinn
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
10123 Torino
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
3660 OUDSBERGEN
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
80686 Munchen
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67400 Illkirch Graffenstaden
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
00187 Roma
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82024 Taufkirchen
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4791 RT Klundert
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3550 KONTICH
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34080 Montpellier
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
Participation ended
4470-177 Maia
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3000 Leuven
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91120 Palaiseau
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76800 Saint Etienne Du Rouvray
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.