Project description
A superconducting magnet could help shield the next generation of spacecraft
When spacecraft enter the atmosphere of another planet or re-enter the earth's atmosphere, they are travelling at tremendous speeds. This heats the air around the spacecraft to temperatures so high that chemical bonds of gases in the air are broken, producing plasma, a gas of electrically charged particles, that surrounds the spacecraft. Heat shields are thus critical to the protection of people and equipment. Conventional heat shields rely on ablation, or the heating of materials covering the aircraft which carry away heat with them as they come off. The idea of using superconducting magnets to alter the flow of the high-temperature ionised gas produced on re-entry has been around for a couple of decades but has so far remained the stuff of science fiction. The EU-funded MEESST project is on a mission to make it a reality, with active magnetic shielding for atmospheric entry supported by state-of-the-art simulations that open the door to terrestrial and other space applications as well.
Fields of science
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringvehicle engineeringaerospace engineeringastronautical engineeringspacecraft
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringinformation engineeringtelecommunicationsradio technologyradar
- humanitieslanguages and literatureliterature studiesliterary genresessaysscience fiction
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinator
3000 Leuven
Belgium
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Participants (9)
38170 Seyssinet Pariset
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
70174 Stuttgart
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85737 Ismaning
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
1921 Martigny Croix
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
1640 Sint-genesius-rode
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50674 Cologne
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
SO17 1BJ Southampton
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76131 Karlsruhe
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4365 Esch-sur-alzette
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