Periodic Reporting for period 3 - RRTB (Recovery and Return-To-Base European Reusable Micro-Launcher Project)
Reporting period: 2022-05-01 to 2023-04-30
The rise of small satellites and large constellations is changing the space industry. Due to the growth of the small satellite market launch has become the bottleneck of the industry. According to SpaceWorks, as much as 2800 launches of nano/micro satellites (1-50kg) are expected to require launch over the next five years.
A tailored service for access-to-space for small satellites is required, but a micro launcher generally has higher costs per kilogram of payload to orbit than bigger launchers. Today, the cornerstone of this emerging market is the economic viability of launching small payloads with a small capacity launcher.
According to the RRTB consortium, technological development and vehicle reuse are fundamental steps to bring down the cost of launch and access-to-space. Reusability is a major enabler for cost reduction and flexibility of launch. Europe does not yet possess any proven and fully operational technological solution for launch vehicle recovery and reusability.
In this context, the RRTB project investigates the recovery and return to base system (RRTB) for the first stage of the MESO launch vehicle. The aim is to develop a low-cost recovery and return to base system, using the horizontal landing technology that is being developed within this project. Since the landing system is expected to allow a precise, smooth and safe landing, a high degree component reusability and an easier refurbishment process can be forecasted, further lowering the cost of launch and a higher launch frequency. The main objectives of the project are the following:
o Optimize, study and simulate the passive re-entry of the launch vehicle to determine the re-entry conditions and confirm achievability.
o Investigate the feasibility of the landing system for the first stage and develop its control software.
o Determine the design and materials for a reusable launch vehicle cryogenic propellant tank.
These three generic objectives give a structure to the project, defining the three main pillars upon which RRTB is built. Coordinated at system level, they all contribute to the overall RRTB goal which is to reduce the cost of access to space and increase the launch frequency: research and innovation in micro launcher reusability constitutes the backbone of the RRTB project.
A tailored service for access-to-space for small satellites is required, but a micro launcher generally has higher costs per kilogram of payload to orbit than bigger launchers. Today, the cornerstone of this emerging market is the economic viability of launching small payloads with a small capacity launcher.
According to the RRTB consortium, technological development and vehicle reuse are fundamental steps to bring down the cost of launch and access-to-space. Reusability is a major enabler for cost reduction and flexibility of launch. Europe does not yet possess any proven and fully operational technological solution for launch vehicle recovery and reusability.
In this context, the RRTB project investigates the recovery and return to base system (RRTB) for the first stage of the MESO launch vehicle. The aim is to develop a low-cost recovery and return to base system, using the horizontal landing technology that is being developed within this project. Since the landing system is expected to allow a precise, smooth and safe landing, a high degree component reusability and an easier refurbishment process can be forecasted, further lowering the cost of launch and a higher launch frequency. The main objectives of the project are the following:
o Optimize, study and simulate the passive re-entry of the launch vehicle to determine the re-entry conditions and confirm achievability.
o Investigate the feasibility of the landing system for the first stage and develop its control software.
o Determine the design and materials for a reusable launch vehicle cryogenic propellant tank.
These three generic objectives give a structure to the project, defining the three main pillars upon which RRTB is built. Coordinated at system level, they all contribute to the overall RRTB goal which is to reduce the cost of access to space and increase the launch frequency: research and innovation in micro launcher reusability constitutes the backbone of the RRTB project.
The project has so far completed a full design study of a novel reusable micro-launcher concept, starting from the basic business needs and top-level requirements. During the second year, the project has been focused on tackling some critical aspects of the vehicle design, designing some yet un-defined subsystems and operations, and further increasing the fidelity of the studies already performed.
- Advantage was taken for the second half of the project to update the system concept. The new system concept gives substantially higher margins in all aspects, increasing its suitability as a cost-efficient solution to lower the cost of access to space.
- The overall vehicle architecture was updated according to the new concept.
- A Monte Carlo trajectory analysis of the MESO return leg was performed, as well as a consolidation of the mission CONOPS.
- A complete flying qualities analysis campaign was carried out making use of the preliminary aerodynamic database.
- The GNC concept was expanded and preliminary solutions for the different GNC functions and algorithms for the reentry and recovery flight phases were proposed and evaluated.
- A preliminary concept for the control of the vehicle was developed, as well as a controller capable of controlling the system's landing.
- An experimental wind tunnel test campaign to measure the dynamic stability coefficients of the vehicle was performed.
- CFD simulations were also performed to contribute to the uncertainty quantification around the inviscid computations used in the mission analysis.
- The structural architecture design of the vehicle was defined and a preliminary estimation of the structural masses carried out.
- A global FEM for the MESO was developed to evaluate the mass budget and its structural efficiency.
- For the tanks a design to manufacturing approach was pursued to create a real and feasible design of the reusable LCH4 tank for the MESO, and two cryogenic insulation concepts for the tank were selected.
- Advantage was taken for the second half of the project to update the system concept. The new system concept gives substantially higher margins in all aspects, increasing its suitability as a cost-efficient solution to lower the cost of access to space.
- The overall vehicle architecture was updated according to the new concept.
- A Monte Carlo trajectory analysis of the MESO return leg was performed, as well as a consolidation of the mission CONOPS.
- A complete flying qualities analysis campaign was carried out making use of the preliminary aerodynamic database.
- The GNC concept was expanded and preliminary solutions for the different GNC functions and algorithms for the reentry and recovery flight phases were proposed and evaluated.
- A preliminary concept for the control of the vehicle was developed, as well as a controller capable of controlling the system's landing.
- An experimental wind tunnel test campaign to measure the dynamic stability coefficients of the vehicle was performed.
- CFD simulations were also performed to contribute to the uncertainty quantification around the inviscid computations used in the mission analysis.
- The structural architecture design of the vehicle was defined and a preliminary estimation of the structural masses carried out.
- A global FEM for the MESO was developed to evaluate the mass budget and its structural efficiency.
- For the tanks a design to manufacturing approach was pursued to create a real and feasible design of the reusable LCH4 tank for the MESO, and two cryogenic insulation concepts for the tank were selected.
This project advances beyond the state of the art because it focuses efforts on an innovative concept, parts of which are patent pending. The existing market and existing solutions do not address recovery of launch vehicles with the same solutions, and other concepts and research carried on in the past fifty years paved the path for this novel landing system.When developing a launcher, which is an already complex project, teams tend to follow the classic approach, and reusability is imagined once the design is already frozen. The MESO launch vehicle project has taken another approach, putting reusability as a functional requirement from the beginning. The project is expected to impact at strategic, social, economic and environmental level as it is described below:
Strategic Impact: The project is very well in-line with the European Commission’s overall space strategy, and directly addresses its four main points:
1. Maximize the benefits of space for society and the EU economy
2. Ensure a globally competitive and innovative European space sector
3. Reinforce Europe’s autonomy in accessing space in a safe and secure environment
4. Strengthen Europe’s role as a global actor and promoting international cooperation
Social Impact: The creation of a native European based launch service is expected to create substantial growth in employments, through launch vehicle operators, ground facility personnel, sub-contractors and suppliers, etc. Looking at other similar launch service providers the direct jobs created would be expected to be approximately 200 or more. Including indirect jobs such as suppliers etc. the total number of jobs created could become upwards of 1000 or more, most of these being highly skilled, high paying, and relevant jobs with a strategic know-how value for Europe as a whole.
Economic Impact: Gaining cost-effective and flexible access-to-space will work as an enabler for the larger space industry to create new businesses and substantial additional value. The total value expected by the creation of micro-satellite constellations by 2027 is upwards of €283 billion, through added availability to space data such as communications, navigation, earth observation etc. The trend is to create large constellations of smaller satellites to be able to provide ad-hoc services for clients. This is only possible however assuming the bottleneck in the value chain, i.e. access-to-space, is resolved.
Environmental Impact: The MESO launch vehicle intends to only use green and non-toxic propellants, both as main propellant and for its reaction control systems. This will set a new standard for European launch vehicles and encourage the discontinuation of hazardous and environmentally harmful rocket propellants, which are set to be phased out by the European REACH regulations. Furthermore, the MESO launcher’s focus on reusability means considerably less waste is made per launch, with the first stage only needing to be manufactured once every ten launches. This is expected to bring an equally large decrease in carbon-footprint and make the MESO the most environmentally friendly launch vehicle in existence.
Strategic Impact: The project is very well in-line with the European Commission’s overall space strategy, and directly addresses its four main points:
1. Maximize the benefits of space for society and the EU economy
2. Ensure a globally competitive and innovative European space sector
3. Reinforce Europe’s autonomy in accessing space in a safe and secure environment
4. Strengthen Europe’s role as a global actor and promoting international cooperation
Social Impact: The creation of a native European based launch service is expected to create substantial growth in employments, through launch vehicle operators, ground facility personnel, sub-contractors and suppliers, etc. Looking at other similar launch service providers the direct jobs created would be expected to be approximately 200 or more. Including indirect jobs such as suppliers etc. the total number of jobs created could become upwards of 1000 or more, most of these being highly skilled, high paying, and relevant jobs with a strategic know-how value for Europe as a whole.
Economic Impact: Gaining cost-effective and flexible access-to-space will work as an enabler for the larger space industry to create new businesses and substantial additional value. The total value expected by the creation of micro-satellite constellations by 2027 is upwards of €283 billion, through added availability to space data such as communications, navigation, earth observation etc. The trend is to create large constellations of smaller satellites to be able to provide ad-hoc services for clients. This is only possible however assuming the bottleneck in the value chain, i.e. access-to-space, is resolved.
Environmental Impact: The MESO launch vehicle intends to only use green and non-toxic propellants, both as main propellant and for its reaction control systems. This will set a new standard for European launch vehicles and encourage the discontinuation of hazardous and environmentally harmful rocket propellants, which are set to be phased out by the European REACH regulations. Furthermore, the MESO launcher’s focus on reusability means considerably less waste is made per launch, with the first stage only needing to be manufactured once every ten launches. This is expected to bring an equally large decrease in carbon-footprint and make the MESO the most environmentally friendly launch vehicle in existence.