Periodic Reporting for period 1 - D-Orbit (Smart propulsive device for controlled satellite reentry and reorbit.Type of funding scheme: SME Instrument)
Période du rapport: 2015-02-01 au 2015-05-31
For these and other reasons, Space Operators have becoming to develop methods to remove safely their satellites, pushed by international regulations issued by space agencies, international organisations (e.g. UN and IADC) and national governments.
D-Orbit innovative business project aims to respond to the increasing need to guarantee a safe and clean access to space for both satellite operators and manufacturers, and in general for all the stakeholders involved. This approach has already received positives feedbacks and endorsement from important space players such as ESA, NASA and the Italian Space Agency, as well as from both satellite operators and manufacturers.
Since its establishment, in 2011, D-Orbit has developed a decommissioning device (called D3) for satellites and launcher stages, capable to remove them in a safe and controlled way at the end-of-mission or if a major failure occurs. So far, this technology has been pushed up to a current TRL of 6. D-Orbit intends to validate the D-Orbit's decommissioning concept in Space in early 2016 in D-SAT mission and to collect data, inputs and lessons learnt for updating, optimizing and fine tuning the design, the engineering and the production of the D-Orbit’s D3.
The necessary partnership for the product optimization and commercialisation was established during the feasibility studies. D-Orbit is happy to work with the market leaders, as AVIO, Thales Alenia Space, Critical Software and Bayern-Chemie.