An ElectroDynamic Tether (EDT) is a long conductor, typically a tape of aluminum, attached to a spacecraft that carries an electric current and exchanges momentum with the Earth magnetosphere. In particular, the interaction between the current and the Earth magnetic field generates a Lorentz drag force on the tape that deorbits the spacecraft without using propellant. The FET project with acronym E.T.PACK is developing a Deorbit Kit (DK) that will be bolt-on to satellites and activated at the end-of-life for post mission disposal. The goal of BMOM is making a business model for the DK in order to turn the flagship result of E.T.PACK into a genuine innovation with a disruptive socio-economic impact in the space sector while increasing the competitiveness of the European space industry. Besides activities on market analysis and competitiveness assessments, BMOM’s dissemination plan includes meetings with potential investors, customers, and public bodies in order to create the conditions to accelerate the development and the future commercialization of two concrete products: the DK and the EDT mission analysis software BETsMA v2.0. In particular, BMOM will: (i) perform a market analysis for the DK and BETsMA, (ii) define the most important use cases, (iii) address the industrial needs and cost to reach a commercial product, (iv) validate the DK use cases with respect to competitors, and (v) provide financial indicators of the identified business for the DK and BETsMA. These activities match with the expertise of BMOM’s consortium that includes a space product developer (SENER AE), an international consultant with deep knowledge on the space market (Euroconsult), and an academic partner with the expertise and know-how on EDTs (UC3M). BMOM has been designed to be the bridge between E.T.PACK, which will end by 2022 with a DK with TRL equal to 4, and a follow-up 2-year project that may end with the in-orbit demonstration of the DK by 2024.

The AURORA project aims to provide a European tool suite for the process of development and validation of a critical Auto-coded Flight software product in the Space domain and the demonstration of Autocoding technology in an industrially relevant environment. The AURORA solution for a SW tool suite will validate the QGen product capabilities to transform Simulink/Matlab models into source code to be directly integrated into an embedded SW product. The Technology demonstration is carried-out by exercising the automated code in AURORA with the already validated and verified results of Euclid auto-generated code. The ESA?s Euclid Mission, where SENER is the prime contractor, includes Mathworks AOCS/GNC model-based algorithms. The demonstration process will make use of the validation and verification test cases designed for Euclid AOCS/GNC formal campaign with testing performed in the actual Euclid Test environment (MIL, SIL, PIL [open-loop emulator] and HIL [SCOE for open-loop testing]). This approach facilitates the assessment of a higher TRL for this toolset. The solution of the test suite will apply current state-of-art modelling standards and guidelines for the Autocoding generation and validation process. Supported by the certified tool-suite, AURORA will define the Autocoded Flight Software Life-cycle process and methodology for the Specification, Development and Validation of Autocoded-SW. Processes based on QGEN Autocoding will follow Model-Based System Engineering (MBSE) principles including Component-Based, Model-Driven Architecture (MDA) and Model-to-Test transformation. Besides, AURORA will ensure the Interoperability capability of the solution through standard specification of component interfaces or API for the integration of components, both for manual and auto-generated code. AURORA will conclude with the demonstration Viability Assessment of the tool suite and the reduction of non-recurring costs of the Auto-coded SW generation and verification.

Electrodynamic tethers are long conductors in orbit that enable spacecraft to de-orbit and/or re-boost without using propellant. After designing, manufacturing and testing a prototype of a Deorbit Device (DD) in the FET E.T.PACK project and reach TRL 4, E.T.PACK-F faces the next natural step: prepare a ready-to-fly DD based on electrodynamic tether technology to perform, immediately after the project, an in-orbit-demonstration (IOD). The two large companies of the team (SENER Aeroespacial and RFA), playing the roles of DD product developer and end-user, signed a Launch Service Agreement for this first flight. The DD involves several tether-related products that have, by their own, a high innovative and commercialization potential and are mainly owned/generated by the three universities of the team (UC3M, UNIPD, TUD). These products are a software for tether mission analysis, a heater-less electron emitter for electric propulsion applications, a cold gas system, miniaturized avionics, and onboard software for the attitude determination and control of small spacecraft, and a deployment mechanism and damper for tether applications. In parallel with technology development activities, a business model for E.T.PACK-F technologies and consortium structures for their later commercialization (a Joint Venture, startup, and /or technology licensing) will be created. Contact with potential clients, investors, and policy-makers, will be established to validate the business model and prepare the products for the future needs of the market. This entrepreneurial ecosystem, made of interlinked space products, strong industry-academia collaboration, and an end user, is driven by the IOD, which can place all the products in a precommercial state. Tethers can help Europe to create/strengthen new markets on space debris deorbiting and in-orbit servicing, disrupt the existing markets on spacecraft re-boost and station keeping, and open new opportunities for planetary explorations.

The goal of HIPATIA (HelIcon PlasmA Thruster for In-Space Applications) is to verify the function and performances of an Electric Propulsion System based on the Helicon Plasma Thruster (HPT) technology, for its application in non-geostationary satellites constellations and other small spacecrafts. The Helicon Plasma Thruster (HPT), a technology under development by SENER and UC3M, is a radiofrequency powered plasma propulsion technology that can offer a good level of performance while eliminating many of the design and manufacturability issues - electrodes, high voltage electronics, and complex fabrication - which have afflicted EP systems to date. Given the relatively simple and robust design of the HPT technology (no grids neither cathodes), the HIPATIA Project has the potential for providing a cost-effective solution for large constellation of small satellites (<500 kg, <750W of power for EP). The impacts associated to have a disruptive thruster in high TRLs would not be achieved unless the complete EP System has proven its integration and operation consistency. HIPATIA will advance the development status of the HPT up to TRL6-7, but it will also face the integration challenges of a complete EP System, constituted by the HPT Thruster Unit, the Radiofrequency and power Unit that feeds it with power and the Propellant Flow Control Unit that controls the pressure and mass flow. The System will be integrated and verified against the requirements derived from the market needs. Development activities will be complemented with research and experimental task, in order to propose design actions to improve the HPT performances. The Consortium, constituted by SENER, UC3M, ADS, CNRS and AST, brings to HIPATIA a solid background in the development, integration and test of Electric Propulsion Systems to succesfully achieve the defined Project goal.

SAFEST contributes to the European capability to provide independent, reliable and efficient solutions in the global space transportation market. The project will lead to a demonstrator of a modular Autonomous Flight Termination Unit (AFTU) for micro/small launchers, validated in a representative flight processor (execution) and emulated environment (dynamics), reaching TRL 5-6. This solution will differentiate from other developments tightly linked to a specific launch site, safety regulation and oriented (cost and mass) to institutional launchers. The proposed AFTU segregates the general-purpose sensors and functions (e.g. localisation) from the mission abort rules which are launcher and spaceport dependant, allowing customisation for a given launcher and site. This strategy is deemed a game changer for the reduction of launch service cost, availability, flexibility, enabling a more responsive access to space. Advanced, low-cost, and modular avionics solutions. SAFEST proposes to mature up to TRL 5-6 an MPSoC-based SW execution platform for modern avionics. Avionics and GNC SW development involve highly demanding tasks calling for powerful computational resources. A SW execution platform is proposed, HW independent, multi-layered, and highly decoupled: SMart Integrated Avionics (MIA). It will bring the following benefits: increased performance (several cores), increased flexibility (modular architecture, easy 3rd-party integration, OS & HW abstraction) and reduced cost (COTS components, new methodologies), fully oriented to reusability and AppStore concept. Integration of both technologies into a single solution. The integrated set will demonstrate that a modular AFTU design, despite its highly demanding computational load, can be implemented in a modular architecture and SW development environment.