Detox SatDrive Propulsion

Project Information

DETOX

Grant agreement ID: 190139954

DOI

10.3030/190139954

Project closed

EC signature date 23 June 2022

Start date 1 April 2022

End date 31 October 2023

Funded under

• The European Innovation Council (EIC)

Total cost

€ 1 999 512,50

EU contribution

€ 1 399 658,00

Coordinated by

DAWN AEROSPACE NEDERLAND B.V.
Netherlands

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - DETOX (Detox SatDrive Propulsion)

Reporting period: 2023-01-01 to 2023-10-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Orbital and launcher propulsion systems used Hydrazine over 50 years. However, it is detrimental for the environment, deadly toxic and likely to be EU banned8. Airbus publicly stated this is a €2Billion per annum problem for the European space industry*. Dawn is on a fast-track to implement its solution for this market problem, underpinning its high chances of commercial success. Replacement fuels, like LMP-103S or HAN were considered promising substitutes. The EU invested in R&D-projects since 2008**, but to no avail. Significant problems in design and operation, cause manufacturers to reject them as viable replacements. Through years of research and close collaboration with international space agencies and industry, Dawn
identified the most viable alternative fuels to Hydrazine and owns the technology on how to use these fuels for satellite propulsion.
Dawn’s safe, reliable and affordable propulsion technology was first developed for the nanosatellite industry. An industry that is rapidly growing adverse to use Hydrazine. Quickly gaining international traction, we are expanding this technology to the midsized satellite market with a larger thruster and supporting system.
With pressing interest from the world’s largest manufacturers of satellites, Dawn’s SatDrive green bi-propellant thruster has the potential to completely displace all Hydrazine-based systems.

[*] https://www.esa.int/Safety_Security/Clean_Space/Considering_Hydrazine-free_satellite_propulsion
[**] https://spacenews.com/Hydrazine-ban-could-cost-europes-space-industry-billions/

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The main achievements that have been accomplished are as follows:

7.1.1: Development of control electronics to simplify the interface between the propulsion system and the customer satellite
7.1.2: Computational modeling of the thruster to improve the impulse bit lenth
7.1.3: Prototyping of various thruster designs
7.1.4: Design and analysis of Dawn's first in-house designed composite overwrapped pressure vessel (COPV)
7.1.5: Production and testing of prototype COPV's
7.2.1: integration of a large propulsion system
7.2.2: Thruster durability and reliability validation through long-term test campaigns
7.2.3: First system tests have been performed
7.2.4: Propulsion system production environment has been adapted to large scale production capability

These all allow for building larger systems, replacing Hydrazine for system sizes where there is currently no viable replacement.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Results and impacts inside Dawn:
- Client growth to 26 customer projects on full propulsion systems
- The progress generated in the EIC Accelerator project allowed us to close a Series A investment round of 12.5M EUR.
- expected to reach positive cashflow much earlier than expected (already this year)

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