Spacecopter – A Novel Technical Approach for Reusable Space Launch Vehicles

The Spacecopter concept provides a new approach for reusable space launch vehicles that will not only drastically reduce the transportation cost for payloads into orbit but also has the potential to fundamentally revolutionise spaceflight. By combining known and well-established technologies from the automotive, electric flight and chemical battery industry, the Spacecopter project is a low-risk but highly innovative answer to the problem of high transportation costs for orbital payloads. Utilising electrically-driven propellers for the initial launch phase and to return rocket stages to the ground will not only reduce costs but also reduce the mechanical and acoustic loads for the payload. The Spacecopter concept will allow a commercial airline type of operation with only minor check-out procedures between flights. This not only allows completely new market approaches and business opportunities for launch service customers but will, in the long term, squeeze all classic expendable launch vehicles out of the market.

Benefits:

Cost reduction for space launch services of up to 80%
Low environmental impact and low carbon footprint
Low mechanical and acoustic impact on payloads
High reliability
Airline type of operation

Additive Space GmbH
Sascha Larch
sascha.larch@additive-space.com
Dr Alexander Schwandt
Alexander.schwandt@additive-space.com
www.additive-space.com

4. July 202211. August 2022

MAS-Tech Solutions – Smartify your component

In the manufacturing process, there is a great need for more sophisticated data analysis – a need that has been brought to us by several players from industry. While showing simple deep learning inference models run on a smartphone, we identified great potential for parameter optimisation on CNC mills, better selection of rejects of 3D-printed parts, or in turning machines. Similarly, lots of data must be processed in space, spaceship components tested on the ground before launch, and/or collected data analysed on the ground. This can be automated using AI-based data analysis of all types of sensors. We are currently in the prototyping phase for a drill chuck for a CNC milling machine, or similar, in order to train the networks and set up the generic data platform. In a second step, MAS-Tech aims to transfer the approach of CNC sensor analysis to telemetry data from ESA’s Gaia, which (to our knowledge) is processed manually, and similar space application scenarios. We will then address customers. The total available AI-based sensor market, and also the serviceable obtainable market, is tremendous and growing rapidly, especially in Germany with the many mid-sized engineering companies.

Benefits:

Generic data platform
Holistic sensor data analysis
Platform-independent, scalable and adaptive
Reliable (and documented) decisions
Reduced work for skilled experts

MAS-Tech Solutions
Maximilian Binder
binder.maximilian93@gmail.com
Amelie Erben
amelie.erben@tum.de
Severin Reiz
s.reiz@tum.de

4. July 202211. August 2022

HERA – Integration of active and passive thermal management system for batteries in electrical cars within a load-bearing structure

Batteries in electric vehicles need to operate within a narrow temperature window to ensure maximum range and a long life. Load peaks, such as rapid charging and high acceleration or cold/hot environmental conditions, can cause the battery to exceed this window. Large active thermal management systems are currently used to absorb load peaks and prevent the battery from heating up or cooling down. These active systems consume a large amount of energy and imply additional mass. Furthermore, they are often not able to maintain the optimal operating temperature indefinitely, causing degradation of the battery cells. At HERA, we buffer load peaks by means of latent heat storage in passive components based on phase-change materials (PCM). To make this as efficient as possible, we have developed an intelligent structure that couples effective storage of the heat generated in the battery in the PCM with a tailored active cooling system. In this way, load peaks can be levelled out, thereby increasing range and extending battery life. The structure is based on Triply Periodic Minimal Surface (TPMS), which also allows efficient mass-specific mechanical load-bearing capability.

Benefits:

Weight savings through loadbearing structure.
Possibility to manufacture these structures conventionally (no additive manufacturing necessary)
High adaptability through tailorable geometry
Wide range of other applications, such as electrical aviation, heat pumps, reusable rockets, or energy storage for energy grid stability

Institut für Strukturmechanik und Leichtbau
RWTH Aachen
Tobias Meinert
tobias.meinert@sla.rwth-aachen.de
rwth-aachen.de

4. July 202211. August 2022

ROBI – The Radiation Monitor

Sustained exposure to high-energy radiation can cause significant damage to both human and spacecraft life in space. Understanding the effects of radiation, as well as developing technology to counter its effects, necessitates a thorough understanding of the radiation environment.
The current capability allows us to study radiation around the near-Earth environment through statistical and analytical models. However, there is a paucity of empirical data that can aid accurate assessment of the environment. Digantara intends to fill this gap through actionable intelligence by measuring proton fluence and, as a result, proton radiation in near-real-time using in-situ radiation monitors. Digantara is developing ROBI – Radiation Monitor. The name ROBI means ‚Sun‘ in Sanskrit/Bengali, signifying the extensive presence of protons in space. ROBI is a proton fluence monitor that measures proton flux in real time. High-energy protons account for 95% of any solar event. Thus, measuring proton fluence is a good measure of ionising radiation in the near-Earth environment.

Benefits:

Miniaturised device: ultra-compact, extremely adaptable
Ultra-low power consumption
Digital output eliminates the need for supporting circuitry
Diverse applications from the medical sector to human space flight

Digantara
Anirudh Sharma
anirudh.sharma@digantara.co.in
digantara.co.in

4. July 202211. August 2022

From looking for life on Mars to saving lives on Earth

Every year, 15 million babies are born prematurely and 1 million die even though 75% could have been saved if they had been given proper care. However, modern neonatal care is too complex and costly to be given to all, and simpler, safer, and cheaper medical technology must be developed to end preventable child mortality. A good example of this need is blood gas monitoring, which is an important method to monitor the health of preterm infants, but suffers from considerable complexity and safety problems that limit its usefulness. For example, it requires the skin to be heated to harmful levels and needs to be attached with strong adhesives that risk tearing the skin. We use patented gas sensor technology that we initially developed to look for signs of past or present life on Mars to perform blood gas monitoring in a completely novel way. Thanks to this sensor’s unique properties, our prototype requires neither heating nor adhesives to perform the measurements and, hence, can facilitate both safer and simpler monitoring of the infants’ health.

Benefits:

Gas sensor for planetary exploration that found use in neonatal care
Unique features enable the removal of harmful practices in conventional solutions
Shows how space technology can create simpler, safer, and more accessible neonatal care

Fourth State Systems
Anders Ajaxon Persson
anders@fourthstatesystems.se
fourthstatesystems.se

4. July 202211. August 2022

Graphene mirrors for lightweight optical systems

Aerospace mirrors need to perform throughout the system cycle under extreme conditions, although that comes at a price: heavy components that are not easy to substitute without introducing compromises in their specifications. Reflective films are an alternative to bulky mirrors, but they are mechanically fragile and have rough surfaces. SCALE Nanotech’s graphene micro-membrane technology offers a solution: G-Mirror©, an ultra-lightweight nanofilm that leverages the outperforming mechanical, optical and thermal properties of graphene material, while enabling cheap scale-up for its size and flexible shape (flat or curved). Our USP goes with our name: we SCALE up Nanotech. With G-Mirrors, graphene goes big or stays home: its size scalability and low mass will reduce payload costs, while its multipurpose nature allows for tailored solutions that tackle the specific applications of our customers with minimal impact on our manufacturing costs.

Benefits:

Ultra-thin and easy to pack (portable)
Large area and low mass (low cost)
Ultimate breaking strength (robust)
Minimal space footprint (clean)
Accepts different coatings (functional)

SCALE Nanotech OÜ
Dr Santiago J. Cartamil-Bueno
cartamil@scalenano.tech
Dr Barbara Núñez Fernández
bnunez@atrago.net
scalenano.tech

4. July 202211. August 2022

HELIOS – The next step in interplanetary transportation

Chemical and electric space thrusters occupy opposite positions on the propulsion spectrum. The choice is to use chemical propulsion with a short but strong thrust-pulse and low efficiency in fuel utilisation, or electric propulsion with continuous long-term but weak thrust and high efficiency in converting fuel into momentum for the spacecraft. There is a big gap in thruster parameters between these main thruster species; a niche for electric high-thrust propulsion like Helios.
To guarantee the achievement of highly efficient fuel utilisation, the Helios high-thrust device is basically an electric propulsion system with the benefit of boosting fuel efficiency by coupling external electrical energy in thrust generation. Based on this high momentum generation per fuel particle, the Helios propulsion concept offers the capability of high momentum change per time; high thrust completes the basic benefits of electric space propulsion.

Benefits:

Helios high-thrust electric propulsion combines the flexibility of a continuous electric thruster with the powerful behaviour of a chemical-like thrust level
Ability to switch on and off on demand and to adjust the operational time
High thrust level, which is able to change the momentum of a craft with high inertia in short time
Capabilities to react to sudden disturbances and to significantly reduce travel time by reaching maximum velocity at an earlier point in the mission

Plasma Rocket Company
Dr Danny Kirmse
danny.kirmse05@gmail.com

4. July 202211. August 2022

Space – Mission Assurance Platform

Space debris currently poses a great threat to the future of space operations, accessibility, and exploration. Due to our increased dependency on satellites, if left unaddressed, space debris can cause damage to assets in space and to life on Earth. Detecting, cataloguing, and predicting Resident Space Objects (RSO) is the first step towards solving the problem of orbital debris and having a sustainable and accessible near-Earth orbit. Current technological capabilities allow for the tracking of objects larger than 10 cm. However, the current resolution of ground-based space surveillance systems leaves 96 per cent of the approximately 1 million lethal space objects untracked, and even for the tracked 4 per cent, complex metrics (object profile and error statistics) are unavailable, rendering the tracking data operationally irrelevant. Digantara is developing a two-pronged system to address the difficulties of space operations and situational awareness through the Space Mission Assurance Platform, aka Space-MAP. Space-MAP will serve as a one-stop solution for all space operations, with products offered through a data feedback loop using multi-modal data sets. This platform will be as powerful and sophisticated as Google Maps, serving as a foundational layer for space operations and astrodynamics research. Through Space-MAP, Digantara can track objects at 10x higher resolution in daylight and in eclipse, increasing the ability to track 20x more objects.

Benefits:

One-stop portal for all space operations
Common operational picture through data fusion using multimodal data sets
Capability to track RSOs at 10x higher resolution in both daylight and eclipse
Near-real-time in-situ monitoring of space weather

Digantara
Anirudh Sharma
anirudh.sharma@digantara.co.in
digantara.co.in

4. July 202211. August 2022

We create a virtual copy of the Earth – Ready for simulation, gaming and more

Today’s virtual worlds don’t meet the key requirements of the simulation industry. For instance, to simulate an autonomous vehicle, current virtual worlds are not sufficient in quality, scale, price, and flexibility. For example, Google Earth cannot be used for simulation, as it only looks like the real world, but does not behave like the real world. AVES Reality discovered a way to solve this, by looking at the world from space, instead of visiting and mapping every place down on Earth. Our unique solution lies in our AI, which understands and then appropriately and rapidly builds up any place on Earth from satellite imagery. As we know and understand every object we reconstruct, we can apply materials and physical attributes to make the virtual world behave like the real world.

Benefits:

Rapid creation of simulation worlds enables faster R&D iterations and accelerated time to market
AI-powered world creation eliminates manual labour for 3D modelling and mobile mapping
3D worlds for autonomous vehicle R&D serve as a safe space for virtual testing without physical driving
AI analysis enables perfect synthetic data, while parameter-based 3D creation enables infinite variations

AVES Reality GmbH
Florian Albert
florian.albert@avesreality.com
www.avesreality.com

4. July 202211. August 2022

A scalable solution for lane-level positioning

Lane-level navigation provides value for drivers with better ETA (estimated time of arrival) management, and more personalised and better anticipation for stress-free driving. Geoflex‘ high-accuracy lane-level positioning can be fitted in pretty much any car, with or without cameras. Moreover, high-accuracy lane-level map data can be crowdsourced at scale using the same vehicles. This creates a virtuous circle where the car with its positioning can detect new lane geometries, which can be sent to a map server to add to the coverage. The innovation relies on software algorithms that can be easily integrated into the navigation stack without complex integration with a computer vision system. There is no hardware upgrade needed and the new car position at decimeter accuracy can be broadcast to the navigation software instead of a standard GNSS feed. The positioning service is available worldwide, it leverages the 4 GNSS constellations (GPS, Galileo, Beidu, Glonass) and can be fused with other sensors with high integrity.

Benefits:

Improve car positioning from metric accuracy to centimetric accuracy
Maximise the value of GNSS, the only absolute positioning technology available in a car
Improve the integrity and availability of multi-sensor positioning engines
Leverage a wide range of applications from navigation to autonomous driving

Geoflex
Nicolas Burger
Ludovic Privat
contact@geoflex.fr
www.geoflex.fr