Project description
Reusable rocket for commercial suborbital flights
Satellites play a strategic role in modern society, making up the infrastructure that solidifies the internet and other wireless utilities. In the past six years, approximately 600 satellites have been launched, with the number increasing each year. However, smaller satellite packages have experienced a relative drop in launches due to launch methods focusing mainly on larger packages, resulting in few small package delivery systems worldwide. The EU-funded ARION project will reverse this trend by developing revolutionary reusable rockets that can be used as micro-launchers and suborbital launch vehicles. This will allow for both cheaper and more frequent commercial launches.
Objective
Approximately 600 satellites have been launched in the last 6 years with an average annual growth of 40%. The decline in launches has been seen since 2014. Over 100 small satellites were impacted by the 2016 delays, due to the fact that there are no rockets designed for small payloads and cubesats, and only 6 large launchers around the world accept small payloads. An alternative is the International Space Station (ISS), which requires special safety qualification for each payload and have limited flight opportunities. Therefore, concentration on relatively few launch vehicles increases uncertainty in the launch schedule for small satellite operators and limits near-term growth.
The opportunity to test the technologies in suborbital space is significant for the developers of space, biomedical and pharmaceutical technologies, enabling them to advance the technology maturity or achieve space demonstration and qualification/certification, which otherwise will take more time or even will be impossible.
PLD proposes revolutionary reusable rockets, to be used as micro-launchers and suborbital launch vehicles. The development of the micro-launcher foresees the demonstration of a smaller scale reusable rocket for commercial suborbital flights, ARION, whose design will be completed and then flight qualified within this Ph2 project. We will provide the first commercial micro-launcher service in Europe and second world-wide, exclusively designed for small payloads and fully managed by our team. For the first time ever, small payloads will fly to Space as primary payload and at an affordable price.
The key objectives of this project are to finalise the design of ARION suborbital vehicle, to develop a launch infrastructure, and to qualify the reusable launch vehicle in space, leading to commercialisation of the first commercial sRLV in Europe and mirco-launcher.
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.
- engineering and technology environmental engineering energy and fuels liquid fuels
- engineering and technology mechanical engineering vehicle engineering aerospace engineering astronautical engineering spacecraft
- engineering and technology mechanical engineering vehicle engineering aerospace engineering satellite technology
- natural sciences physical sciences astronomy observational astronomy x-ray astronomy
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology ecosystems
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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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H2020-EU.2.1.6. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies – Space
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.2.3.1. - Mainstreaming SME support, especially through a dedicated instrument
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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.
SME-2 - SME instrument phase 2
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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) H2020-SMEInst-2016-2017
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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.
03203 ELCHE ALICANTE
Spain
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.