Detox SatDrive Propulsion

Información del proyecto

DETOX

Identificador del acuerdo de subvención: 190139954

DOI

10.3030/190139954

Proyecto cerrado

Fecha de la firma de la CE 23 Junio 2022

Fecha de inicio 1 Abril 2022

Fecha de finalización 31 Octubre 2023

Financiado con arreglo a

• The European Innovation Council (EIC)

Coste total

€ 1 999 512,50

Aportación de la UE

€ 1 399 658,00

Coordinado por

DAWN AEROSPACE NEDERLAND B.V.
Netherlands

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

Período documentado: 2023-01-01 hasta 2023-10-31

Resumen del contexto y de los objetivos generales del proyecto

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/

Trabajo realizado desde el comienzo del proyecto hasta el final del período abarcado por el informe y los principales resultados hasta la fecha

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.

Avances que van más allá del estado de la técnica e impacto potencial esperado (incluida la repercusión socioeconómica y las implicaciones sociales más amplias del proyecto hasta la fecha)

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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