Project description
Europe's leap into reusable rocket technology
The European space sector, a cornerstone of economic growth, is facing fierce global competition and technological upheaval. To preserve independent access to space, European launchers must slash prices by half in the short term, whereas long-term resilience demands the creation of a unified family of launchers with reusability functions. In this context, the EU-funded ENLIGHTEN-ED project is tasked with advancing reusable rocket engines. Leveraging additive manufacturing, AI and extremely low-cost subsystems, the project aims for on-ground engine demonstrations of a large field of new technologies by 2026, a crucial leap towards a more competitive European space future. Furthermore, the project’s consortium, comprising major aerospace actors, will pioneer a greener high-thrust engine based on liquid hydrogen.
Objective
The space sector is a source of economic growth, jobs and exports, contributing to all Key Strategic Orientations of the EU strategic plan. Faced with growing competition and technological disruption, it is drastically vital to act in support of European space launchers development to preserve European independent access to space.
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 family of launchers of all scales with reusability functionalities.
The purpose of ENLIGHTEN is to develop and test advanced production means and technologies for reusable rocket engines, following on the Prometheus® ESA program, in order to create a family of reusable, high-power engines fueled by bio-methane or green hydrogen.
In the continuity of ENLIGHTEN, ENLIGHTEN-ED aims at maturate enabling technologies, subsystems, tools and processes by bringing them to TRL5/6. Then, ENLIGHTEN-ED will demonstrate the above technologies by engine on-ground demonstration tests by 2026 to reach TRL7.
In the frame of ENLIGHTEN-ED, a tailored consortium (including major aerospace actors, SME, RTO and an university) will prepare a demonstrator of green high thrust engine (GTHE) based on liquid hydrogen using:
- The latest advances in additive manufacturing to reduce the cost and number of engine parts,
- Artificial Intelligence and machine learning to develop the first space engine health Monitoring System in Europe necessary to implement reusability,
- New ultra-low-cost subsystems as engine ignition system, nozzle extension, electric valves and multi-functional lines.
Therefore, ENLIGHTEN-ED will demonstrate the ability of such an ultra-low-cost engine to be rapidly operational and available for all European launcher families and thus strive to increase the competitiveness of European GTHE.
Fields of science
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Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation ActionsCoordinator
78130 Les Mureaux
France