Descrizione del progetto
Hardware e software per rendere possibili attività autonome di manutenzione in orbita
Al fine di conciliare un utilizzo dello spazio che sia più sicuro e anche più affidabile, in Europa si stanno perfezionando missioni di manutenzione per fornire un nuovo approccio alla progettazione e alla gestione del ciclo di vita dei satelliti, oltre a una nuova gamma di servizi una volta messi in orbita. Il progetto EROSS, finanziato dall’UE, intende dimostrare a terra alcune delle principali soluzioni europee per i veicoli «Servicer» e «Client» coinvolti, applicabili sia all’orbita terrestre bassa (LEO, low Earth orbit) che all’orbita geostazionaria equatoriale (GEO, geostationary equatorial orbit). Questa iniziativa fornirà un’ampia gamma di servizi orbitali accessibili e sicuri, valutando e convalidando gli elementi tecnologici chiave del veicolo spaziale Servicer per eseguire il rendezvous, la cattura, la presa, l’attracco e la manipolazione di un satellite Cliente collaborativo durante le relative operazioni di manutenzione. A questo proposito, le tecnologie spaziali robotizzate porteranno a una maggiore autonomia e sicurezza nella gestione di questi servizi a bordo, con una ridotta supervisione da terra.
Obiettivo
EROSS (European Robotic Orbital Support Services) objective is to demonstrate the European solutions for the Servicers and the Serviced LEO/GEO satellites, enabling a large range of efficient and safe orbital support services. The project will assess and demonstrate the capability of the on-orbit servicing spacecraft (chaser) to perform rendezvous, capturing, grasping, berthing and manipulating of a collaborative client satellite (target) provisioned for servicing operations including refuelling and payload transfer/replacement.
EROSS embeds key European Technologies by leveraging on actuators, sensors, software frameworks and algorithms developed in previous European Projects. EROSS boosts the maturity of these key building blocks and increases their functionalities and performance in a coherent work programme targeting fast and practical deployment of the developed solutions in space. The consortium went into great details in the EROSS concept and the technical operational plan to manage perfectly the risks and complexity of development of such a large system.
Following EROSS, TAS plans to commercialize its Multi-Purpose Servicing Chaser in 2021 for the LEO&GEO servicing business, pulling with him the project’s technology providers. Besides, most partners will address other short-term space/non-space markets, such as Space Exploration & Science and factory automation (sensors, robots).
The project success relies on a highly skilled and experienced consortium involving all the leaders of previous SRC Operational Grants. EROSS involves 11 partners from 8 countries over 24 months and a budget of 3,9M€. As Operational Grant n°7, EROSS will be part of the Strategic Research Cluster (SRC) on Space Robotics.
Campo scientifico
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesastronomyspace exploration
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringvehicle engineeringaerospace engineeringastronautical engineeringspacecraft
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringvehicle engineeringaerospace engineeringsatellite technology
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringsensors
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringrobotics
Parole chiave
Programma(i)
Meccanismo di finanziamento
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinatore
31100 Toulouse
Francia