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Innovative Low-Mass Tanks for a Low-Cost, Low-Carbon European Micro-Launch Vehicle

Descrizione del progetto

Nuovo veicolo di micro-lancio per piccoli satelliti

Il mercato dei piccoli satelliti (smallsats) è in rapida crescita, così come il settore dei servizi di lancio nello spazio, con quest’ultimo che dovrebbe raggiungere i 2,52 miliardi di dollari entro il 2022. Un grande svantaggio per i piccoli satelliti è la loro dipendenza dal ridesharing in un grande lanciatore, il che comporta problemi con lo spazio disponibile e la programmazione. PRIME è un progetto di Fase 2 che sviluppa un veicolo di micro-lancio orbitale con sede nell’UE, basato su propellenti criogenici doppi, che riduce sia la massa inerte di veicoli simili sia il loro impatto ambientale. Oltre a consentire una maggiore flessibilità nella programmazione, il progetto introdurrà un micro-lanciatore europeo nel mercato globale con un vantaggio competitivo e costi notevolmente ridotti.

Obiettivo

Small satellites (smallsats) are playing an increasingly significant role in space. Smallsats currently fly to space via ridesharing – taking spare capacity on a large launcher. Rideshare has numerous issues, including lack of availability, severe launch delays, and unsuitable orbits. Orbex is developing an EU-based orbital micro-launch vehicle with a uniquely innovative advantage that eliminates the issues of rideshare and mitigates the cost of a dedicated launch for smallsat operators. The vehicle exploits the properties of dual-cryogenic propellants to create an innovative, lightweight, low-cost tanking
arrangement that reduces the inert mass of the launch vehicle by as much at 30% over traditional designs, and enable the world’s first environmentally-friendly rocket fuel strategy, with a 90% reduction in environmental impact. The small satellite launch market is well established and growing rapidly. The market for smallsat launch services is projected to grow US$2.52B p.a by 2022, a CAGR 23.2%. The benefits of developing this tanking system for a European micro-launch vehicle include:-
• Lowering cost of space access, including logistics/integration
• Reduced delay in time-to-market
• Enabling faster revenue generation for smallsat business models
Orbex staff have designed & realized a prototype tank, and subsequently drafted patents for the technology. The tank was instrumented, hydrostatically pressure-tested and then used to prove the concept in cryogenic conditions. The objective of this SME Instrument Phase 2 project is to build on a prior SME Instrument Phase 1 feasibility study of the materials, suppliers and production processes required to implement this novel fuel tank concept using European materials and techniques at full scale. This Phase 2 project allow a European company to compete for this large, global market with significant, sustainable cost and operational advantages over global competitors.

Invito a presentare proposte

H2020-EIC-SMEInst-2018-2020

Vedi altri progetti per questo bando

Bando secondario

H2020-SMEInst-2018-2020-2

Meccanismo di finanziamento

SME-2 - SME instrument phase 2

Coordinatore

ORBITAL EXPRESS LAUNCH LIMITED
Contribution nette de l'UE
€ 2 295 893,63
Indirizzo
39-41 NORTH ROAD
N7 9DP London
Regno Unito

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PMI

L’organizzazione si è definita una PMI (piccola e media impresa) al momento della firma dell’accordo di sovvenzione.

Regione
London Inner London — East Haringey and Islington
Tipo di attività
Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments)
Collegamenti
Costo totale
€ 3 576 559,70

Partecipanti (2)