Descripción del proyecto
Vehículos espaciales reutilizables para investigación científica y aplicaciones comerciales asequibles en el espacio
Una forma de hacer más accesible (y asequible) la explotación del espacio es construir vehículos espaciales que puedan reutilizarse. El equipo del proyecto EARS, financiado con fondos europeos, diseñará un vehículo espacial reutilizable de bajo coste. En concreto, se diseñará para ponerlo en la órbita terrestre baja con el fin de dar apoyo a una serie de pequeños experimentos y a la fabricación en microgravedad durante períodos orbitales superiores a un año. Cuando termine su misión, regresará a la Tierra de forma autónoma para ser reutilizado con un reacondicionamiento mínimo. El vehículo podrá corregir su posición y realizar una reentrada controlada, tras la cual se desplegará un paracaídas dirigible para desacelerarlo y garantizar su aterrizaje suave en el lugar designado.
Objetivo
This program proposes to design and build a low-cost spacecraft capable of supporting a variety of small experiments for orbital periods potentially longer than a year. The vehicle is to be designed to operate and return to Earth autonomously, to be reusable with minimal refurbishment, and to be compatible with common launch vehicles secondary payload attachments. The spacecraft is based on a current microsatellite platform with the addition of a heat shield, a powerful propulsion system and a recover system. The spacecraft is launched in LEO and perform its mission, which can be IOD/IOV, microgravity scientific experiments, or commercial activities like microgravity manufacturing. Thanks to its own propulsion system the spacecraft can re-position itself and perform a controlled reentry. After reentry and when the vehicle slows to the designated Mach number, a drogue parachute will be deployed which will decelerate the vehicle to a condition permitting deployment of the steerable gliding parachute. Terminal descent on the main parachute is controlled so that the vehicle soft-lands at a designated landing site. The reusability feature has four main advantages:
- Recover of the payload for usage/inspection/analysis
- Possibility to reuse the satellite for different missions
- Possibility to abort a mission without loss of the payload
- Limited pollution, debris mitigation both on ground and in orbit
This platform follows the call indications as it deals with re-entry technologies, green propulsion, advanced GNC. Marketing surveys have indicated that there is considerable user interest for such a platform.
Ámbito científico
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringvehicle engineeringaerospace engineeringastronautical engineeringspacecraft
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringvehicle engineeringaerospace engineeringsatellite technology
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringwaste managementwaste treatment processesremanufacturing
Palabras clave
Programa(s)
Régimen de financiación
HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation ActionsCoordinador
00185 Roma
Italia