Pangea Aerospace - Launch Vehicles for small satellites (payload capacity up to 150kg), wich provide affordable access to space tailored to the micro/nano satellite market

Project Information

Pangea Aerospace

Grant agreement ID: 828301

DOI

10.3030/828301

Project closed

EC signature date 2 August 2018

Start date 1 September 2018

End date 28 February 2019

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs

Total cost

€ 71 429,00

EU contribution

€ 50 000,00

Coordinated by

PANGEA AEROSPACE SL
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - Pangea Aerospace (Pangea Aerospace - Launch Vehicles for small satellites (payload capacity up to 150kg), wich provide affordable access to space tailored to the micro/nano satellite market)

Reporting period: 2018-09-01 to 2019-02-28

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The rise of small satellites and large constellations are changing the space industry (IoT, telecom, earth observation, imagery etc. are supplied by satellite data). Due to this change, launch has become the bottleneck of the small satellite industry, and will continue to be so in the following years. Small satellites have to wait (sometimes years) and rideshare to access to space with big capacity launchers. Furthermore, the launch industry is very conservative and has to imagine new solutions in order to bring down the cost of launch.
Our objective is to develop the most cost effective micro launcher (150Kg payload to LEO) in order to give a tailored service to the small satellite market.
For this reason we are developing the two key technologies that will enable us to bring down the cost of launch: an aerospike engine for the first stage and a recovery and return to base system, easing the reusability of the launcher.
This two key technologies will allow Pangea Aerospace to enter the market with lower costs per launch and will foster European non dependency technologies in the strategic space sector.
We are developing the first aerospike engine in Europe, which will be 3D printed in a copper alloy with our European partners. The recovery system, key for the economic model of our micro-launcher, is patented for all aerospace applications and is based in existing and proven technologies from other industries. The landing system allows to have higher flying stability and does not use the main engine, thus easing reusability.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The funds given by the European Union helped us in the following items:

Technological items
- patent the recovery system concept
- define the requirements of the recovery system proof of concept
- manufacture and test a proof of concept of the technology (part of the feasability study).

Business case items: the SME Instrument phase 1 helped us validate some key insights of the BP and structure it to attract private investors.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

We created a top level European consortium to work on both technologies (one consortium for the RRTB system and another one for the aerospike engine) and already achieved the results programmed at the beginning of the project plan of SME Instrument phase 1.
We are developping state of the art aerospace technologies and developping technologies that contribute to the European non-dependance technology strategy for the space sector.

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