Objective The total mass of space debris in the low Earth orbit region is estimated to be close to 2,500 tons. About half of this mass is composed by rocket upper stages clustered in high inclination orbital regions. Because they are grouped in a relatively small number of families, acquiring the capability to deorbit just a few upper stage types would lead the way towards the elimination of hundreds of tons of debris material in the future. The goal of the LEOSWEEP project (improving Low Earth Orbit Security With Enhanced Electric Propulsion) is to demonstrate the technological feasibility of a first active removal mission of a Ukrainian rocket upper stage, prove its economic viability, and propose a convincing legal and policy implementation to “kick-start” large-scale active debris removal activities in Ukraine, Europe and other space faring nations in the future.The recently proposed Ion Beam Shepherd (IBS) concept is employed as the key removal technology where the use of ionic beams provide an efficient and low-risk contactless manipulation of the debris to be deorbited. In order to prove the feasibility of the proposed solution and prepare for its future implementation a series of key milestones will be achieved: (1) a detailed understanding of the physics underlining the concept, (2) the identification of key technological challenges and concrete solutions (3) the assessment of the concept capability in dealing with large-scale removal operations (4) the development of ground-based laboratory experiments, (5) the definition of a clear technology and policy development roadmap, (6) the pre-phase A design of a small technology demonstration mission and (7) the exploitation and dissemination of the proposal outcomes.A world-class international team of universities and industrial partners from Europe and Ukraine has been formed in order to perform this study with a high level of theoretical and technical expertise in all relevant fields. Programme(s) FP7-SPACE - Specific Programme "Cooperation": Space Topic(s) SPA.2013.3.2-01 - Cooperation with third countries Call for proposal FP7-SPACE-2013-1 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme CP-FP - Small or medium-scale focused research project Coordinator SENER INGENIERIA Y SISTEMAS SA EU contribution € 369 859,00 Address AVENIDA ZUGAZARTE 56 48930 Getxo Spain See on map Region Noreste País Vasco Bizkaia Activity type Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments) Administrative Contact Beatriz Moreno (Ms) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data Participants (10) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all UNIVERSIDAD POLITECNICA DE MADRID Spain EU contribution € 189 914,00 Address CALLE RAMIRO DE MAEZTU 7 EDIFICIO RECTORADO 28040 Madrid See on map Region Comunidad de Madrid Comunidad de Madrid Madrid Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Prieto Roberto (Dr) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data TransMIT Gesellschaft fuer Technologietransfer mbH Germany EU contribution € 369 470,00 Address Kerkrader Strasse 3 35394 Giessen See on map Region Hessen Gießen Gießen, Landkreis Activity type Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments) Administrative Contact Michael Haberland Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data INSTITUTE OF TECHNICAL MECHANICS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF UKRAINE AND THE STATE SPACE AGENCY OF UKRAINE Ukraine EU contribution € 249 831,00 Address BUL LESHKO POPEL 15 49600 DNIPROPETROVSK See on map Activity type Research Organisations Administrative Contact Anatoliy Alpatov (Prof) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Total cost No data DEUTSCHES ZENTRUM FUR LUFT - UND RAUMFAHRT EV Germany EU contribution € 186 264,00 Address LINDER HOHE 51147 Koln See on map Region Nordrhein-Westfalen Köln Köln, Kreisfreie Stadt Activity type Research Organisations Administrative Contact Kathrin Althaus (Mrs) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data STATE ENTERPRISE YUZHNOYE DESIGN OFFICE NAMED AFTER MIKHAIL YANGEL Ukraine EU contribution € 139 608,00 Address KRIVOROZHSKAYA 3 49008 DNIEPROPETROVSK See on map Activity type Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments) Administrative Contact Sergii Velychko (Mr) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data DEIMOS ENGENHARIA SA Portugal EU contribution € 149 988,00 Address AVENIDA COLUMBANO BORDALO PINHEIRO75 9A1 1070-061 LISBOA See on map Region Continente Área Metropolitana de Lisboa Área Metropolitana de Lisboa Activity type Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments) Administrative Contact Baltazar Parreira (Mr) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data INTERNATIONAL SPACE LAW CENTER TO THE INSTITUTE OF STATE AND LAW NAMED AFTER V.M. KORETSKY OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF UKRAINE Ukraine EU contribution € 89 344,00 Address BUL TERESCHENKIVSKA - SHEVCHENKIVSKY DISTRICT 2 01004 KYIV See on map Activity type Research Organisations Administrative Contact Nataliya Malysheva (Prof) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Total cost No data UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON United Kingdom EU contribution € 49 961,00 Address Highfield SO17 1BJ Southampton See on map Region South East (England) Hampshire and Isle of Wight Southampton Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Yan Qiao (Mrs) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRS France EU contribution € 40 474,00 Address RUE MICHEL ANGE 3 75794 Paris See on map Region Ile-de-France Ile-de-France Paris Activity type Research Organisations Administrative Contact Gilles Traimond (Mr) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data UNIVERSIDAD CARLOS III DE MADRID Spain EU contribution € 164 734,00 Address CALLE MADRID 126 28903 Getafe (Madrid) See on map Region Comunidad de Madrid Comunidad de Madrid Madrid Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Cristina Velasco (Mrs) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data