Project description
Solving the orbital storage dilemma
In the vast expanse of Earth’s orbit, the prospect of sustainable commercial activities faces a critical hurdle: the overlooked challenge of orbital goods and resource storage. The current perspectives and roadmaps of major space players lack a comprehensive strategy for handling goods in space, hindering the realisation of operational orbital services and in situ resource utilisation. Addressing this gap, the EU-funded STARFAB project emerges as a groundbreaking initiative, seeking to pioneer an automated orbital Warehouse Unit that could revolutionise the landscape of future space commerce. STARFAB promises to be the linchpin for sustainable on-orbit servicing, assembly and manufacturing, or OSAM, business models, shaping the future of orbital commerce.
Objective
Implementing sustainable commercial activities in Earth orbit requires not only the key technologies necessary to offer the targeted services (OOS / ISAM) but also the means to effectively ensure the (re)supply of the associated facilities. Storage and handling of goods and resources in orbit, in support of OOS or ISAM, have received limited attention in the perspectives and roadmaps of the major future space ecosystem and economy players.
STARFAB aims to explore a novel concept of an automated orbital Warehouse Unit (WU) within the context of both OOS and ISAM (also known as OSAM) commercial perspectives. It seeks to address a critical gap in the future space ecosystem, serving as an enabler for sustainable OSAM business models.
The STARFAB project will develop a Phase A equivalent concept and demonstrator of an orbital Warehouse Unit (WU), drawing inspiration from the state-of-the-art automated warehousing practices on Earth, while considering the challenging environmental conditions encountered in space, such as microgravity, vacuum, extreme temperatures, and radiation. STARFAB's objective is to advance the necessary technologies for handling goods in space (including modular and custom-shaped components, raw materials for manufacturing, fuel, water, and more), using robotics and automation. This will encompass storage elements with varying levels of protection, the Items Handling Solution (IHS), featuring custom automation tools for operations within the warehouse structure, and the Item Transfer System (ITS), designed as a robotic manipulator to provide flexible external item transfer within the WU. The STARFAB concept will also include provisions for robotic inspection and minor maintenance tasks, primarily for STARFAB's own integrity but possibly also as a service for spacecraft docking or berthing with STARFAB.
At the end, STARFAB will produce a roadmap outlining the path forward for technology maturation, model philosophy, market opportunities, and subsequent exploitation measures
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology ecosystems
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering electronic engineering robotics
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.2.4 - Digital, Industry and Space
MAIN PROGRAMME
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HORIZON.2.4.10 - Space, including Earth Observation
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-CL4-2023-SPACE-01
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
1932 Zaventem
Belgium
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.