Periodic Reporting for period 1 - CHEOPS-VHP-BB (CHEOPS Very High-Power Building Blocks)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2023-01-01 al 2024-06-30
In expectation of forthcoming space utilization, it is fair to assume that future applications will require very high-powered (VHP) electric propulsion systems in the 20kW-range. The exact evolution of space infrastructure and markets is hard to predict exactly, nevertheless, given the challenges and the opportunities that VHP present, research must be anticipated now, ahead of its effective deployment in 2030-40. In particular, in the race to the Moon and Mars, as well as other lucrative commercial missions within earth’s orbit beyond 2030, the European Space industry must catch up with the rest of the world. High power electric thrusters are one of the key technologies for these future missions, where operational flexibility will be extremely important to optimize mission design.
In order to allow Europe preserving a worldwide leadership in this arena, the maturation of building blocks such as proposed in CHEOPS-VHP-BB is therefore an adequate approach. The aim of the project is precisely to improve the maturity of key technologies used by electric propulsion systems (EPS) as well as their industrial manufacturing processes, and to propose innovative development and qualification approaches. To do so, the consortium, led by Safran Electronics and Defense, includes the representatives of the most valuable stakeholders and experts from the European space area, be it from the industry or the academia.
To achieve the project objectives, CHEOPS VHP BB takes over from studies within Europe already initiated for the incremental development of 20- kW class Hall thrusters: FP7 HiPER, FP7 CHEOPS, H2020 ASPIRE or ESA GSTP. Thruster-focused testing activities will be completed by research, development and analyses on the key building blocks essential for the future use of VHP Hall thruster systems:
• Overall system architecture studies against various mission use cases,
• Assessment on the use of alternative propellants and power sources for future missions,
• Reflections on a robust and cost-effective approach to qualification using Probabilistic Failure Analysis,
• Manufacturability of key components subject to wear, notably the discharge chamber and cathode, and
• Experimental characterizations with advanced-diagnostics.
In order to allow Europe preserving a worldwide leadership in this arena, the maturation of building blocks such as proposed in CHEOPS-VHP-BB is therefore an adequate approach. The aim of the project is precisely to improve the maturity of key technologies used by electric propulsion systems (EPS) as well as their industrial manufacturing processes, and to propose innovative development and qualification approaches. To do so, the consortium, led by Safran Electronics and Defense, includes the representatives of the most valuable stakeholders and experts from the European space area, be it from the industry or the academia.
To achieve the project objectives, CHEOPS VHP BB takes over from studies within Europe already initiated for the incremental development of 20- kW class Hall thrusters: FP7 HiPER, FP7 CHEOPS, H2020 ASPIRE or ESA GSTP. Thruster-focused testing activities will be completed by research, development and analyses on the key building blocks essential for the future use of VHP Hall thruster systems:
• Overall system architecture studies against various mission use cases,
• Assessment on the use of alternative propellants and power sources for future missions,
• Reflections on a robust and cost-effective approach to qualification using Probabilistic Failure Analysis,
• Manufacturability of key components subject to wear, notably the discharge chamber and cathode, and
• Experimental characterizations with advanced-diagnostics.
The first period of the project was mainly focused on:
- Launching the activities and coordinating the consortium members
- Identifying the missions envisaged in the future that will be likely to use very high power propulsive system and formalising the associated high level propulsive system specification to be in position to fulfil all sort of new missions. Outcomes are provided in D2.1 where use cases for a VHP thruster, in particular the types of missions and the associated use profiles. A preliminary high level technical requirement is summarized in D2.2
- Listing failure modes responsible for lifetime limitations for very high-power Hall thrusters and describing the erosion mechanism process (the most critical failure mode) analytically and defining the relevant diagnostics to be used during the tests to feed the models. Deliverables D5.1 D5.2 and D5.3 present the credible failure modes, the physics-based or semi-empirical analytical models describing the life-limiting wear processes and diagnostics required for measuring the main parameters to feed the models.
- Designing the thrusters and cathodes parts and diagnostics, their procurement is ongoing for tests expected Q1 2025
- Establishing the trade-off analysis for the most relevant propellant for the very high power Hall Thruster and the associated recommendations for the tests (deliverable D3.1). The conclusion is that the propellant choice are still classical with Xenon, Krypton, and Argon. But then earth air, CO2 and H2O that shows interest linked with future needs of extra-terrestrial propellant sources foreseeing commercial routes.
- Initiating the PPS(R)20K thruster, the Tandem thrustes and the 100A-class cathode test preparation.
- Launching the activities and coordinating the consortium members
- Identifying the missions envisaged in the future that will be likely to use very high power propulsive system and formalising the associated high level propulsive system specification to be in position to fulfil all sort of new missions. Outcomes are provided in D2.1 where use cases for a VHP thruster, in particular the types of missions and the associated use profiles. A preliminary high level technical requirement is summarized in D2.2
- Listing failure modes responsible for lifetime limitations for very high-power Hall thrusters and describing the erosion mechanism process (the most critical failure mode) analytically and defining the relevant diagnostics to be used during the tests to feed the models. Deliverables D5.1 D5.2 and D5.3 present the credible failure modes, the physics-based or semi-empirical analytical models describing the life-limiting wear processes and diagnostics required for measuring the main parameters to feed the models.
- Designing the thrusters and cathodes parts and diagnostics, their procurement is ongoing for tests expected Q1 2025
- Establishing the trade-off analysis for the most relevant propellant for the very high power Hall Thruster and the associated recommendations for the tests (deliverable D3.1). The conclusion is that the propellant choice are still classical with Xenon, Krypton, and Argon. But then earth air, CO2 and H2O that shows interest linked with future needs of extra-terrestrial propellant sources foreseeing commercial routes.
- Initiating the PPS(R)20K thruster, the Tandem thrustes and the 100A-class cathode test preparation.
CHEOPS-VHP-BB will contribute on strengthening, in the medium term, the European capacity to compete worldwide in electric propulsion satellites and missions. The maturing of VHP thrusters and EPS in Europe opens the door to a variety of new missions, providing new business opportunities for new services which serve society. In particular, the industrialization of space operations will require ad hoc space logistics network and systems. CHEOPS-VHP-BB provides a direct contribution to the roadmaps established for space logistics and the emergence of major players of air and maritime logistics into the space business. This can leverage considerable resources for the industrialization of space.
The reinforcing of the European commercial position in space will result to increasing market shares, and increased staffs with qualified employees and highly skilled specialists will be required in Industries and Academia, in the post 2025 era.
The higher knowledge emanating from the project, will also allow to enrich the academic courses in Space Technologies areas and therefore to the increase of student enrolment in pushing forward advanced technologies.
CHEOPS-VHP-BB will develop the essential building blocks which will allow critical areas to be addressed for the application of such solutions, and for their proper specification (advanced design and manufacturing methods including additive manufacturing, as well as model-based system engineering). It will permit the creation through the different European EPS solution suppliers to provide a technology and cost competitive advantage to their international counterparts which will be able to address the use of VHP solar or nuclear electric propulsion for a variety of IOS and exploration missions of the future.
Without CHEOPS-VHP-BB, European EPS solutions would be developed probably after American and Russian VHP solutions which will probably not be optimised for several missions and market applications, will not consider the use of breakthrough alternative propellants, and most importantly will not address the issue of their ground qualification for in-flight space use. In addition, the building blocks developed within the project will allow European solutions to be developed without reliance on non-European suppliers.
With the use of VHP EPS for IOS applications, the overall weight of future launcher payloads could be dramatically reduced impacting the costs of launching new satellites and spacecraft. This will reinforce EU capacity to access to space, which requires, amongst others, new concepts for reducing the production and operation cost such as reusability of launcher and vehicle components, and low cost, high thrust, green, modular, and autonomous propulsive systems. With VHP EPS solutions, orbit transportation is reduced through the reduction of the mass of chemical propellants that are replaced by electrical solutions. These solutions will help the space industry to face an emerging demand from customers to reduce satellite operation costs by providing new services, such as:
- Fast Orbit To Orbit Transport (OTOT) to optimize launch cost and allow for on-orbit assembly;
- Station Keeping / Orbit Transfer to extend life duration of operational satellites;
- On-Orbit Assembly of large structures and transfer to/from the operating orbit, taking into account the maintenance and deorbiting of the replaced assemblies.
The reinforcing of the European commercial position in space will result to increasing market shares, and increased staffs with qualified employees and highly skilled specialists will be required in Industries and Academia, in the post 2025 era.
The higher knowledge emanating from the project, will also allow to enrich the academic courses in Space Technologies areas and therefore to the increase of student enrolment in pushing forward advanced technologies.
CHEOPS-VHP-BB will develop the essential building blocks which will allow critical areas to be addressed for the application of such solutions, and for their proper specification (advanced design and manufacturing methods including additive manufacturing, as well as model-based system engineering). It will permit the creation through the different European EPS solution suppliers to provide a technology and cost competitive advantage to their international counterparts which will be able to address the use of VHP solar or nuclear electric propulsion for a variety of IOS and exploration missions of the future.
Without CHEOPS-VHP-BB, European EPS solutions would be developed probably after American and Russian VHP solutions which will probably not be optimised for several missions and market applications, will not consider the use of breakthrough alternative propellants, and most importantly will not address the issue of their ground qualification for in-flight space use. In addition, the building blocks developed within the project will allow European solutions to be developed without reliance on non-European suppliers.
With the use of VHP EPS for IOS applications, the overall weight of future launcher payloads could be dramatically reduced impacting the costs of launching new satellites and spacecraft. This will reinforce EU capacity to access to space, which requires, amongst others, new concepts for reducing the production and operation cost such as reusability of launcher and vehicle components, and low cost, high thrust, green, modular, and autonomous propulsive systems. With VHP EPS solutions, orbit transportation is reduced through the reduction of the mass of chemical propellants that are replaced by electrical solutions. These solutions will help the space industry to face an emerging demand from customers to reduce satellite operation costs by providing new services, such as:
- Fast Orbit To Orbit Transport (OTOT) to optimize launch cost and allow for on-orbit assembly;
- Station Keeping / Orbit Transfer to extend life duration of operational satellites;
- On-Orbit Assembly of large structures and transfer to/from the operating orbit, taking into account the maintenance and deorbiting of the replaced assemblies.