Reusability for European strategic space launchers – technologies and operation maturation including flight test demonstration
Programme Category
Programme Name
Programme Description
Horizon Europe is the European Union (EU) funding programme for the period 2021 – 2027, which targets the sectors of research and innovation. The programme’s budget is around € 95.5 billion, of which € 5.4 billion is from NextGenerationEU to stimulate recovery and strengthen the EU’s resilience in the future, and € 4.5 billion is additional aid.
Identifier Code
Call
Summary
R&I will focus on reusability concepts including required technologies that have a strong potential for cost reduction, starting with the recovery of the most expensive components such as first stage. It can also increase launch flexibility by reducing lead-time from order to launch by helping to adapt efficiently the launch rate and the performance to market variations. In addition, reusability would contribute to align space economy with the ecological transition to sustainability.
Detailed Call Description
The developed enabling technologies and building blocks should be applicable to strategic launchers able to launch EU Space Programme components, with the objective of enabling operational capacities by 2030. The system tests vehicle should be at a sufficiently large scale in order to be representative of the expected final capacities. The vehicle will be equipped with a reusable propulsion system.
The proposed activities must also support EU non-dependence objective and include the assessment of costs reduction investigations and system tests results.
The activities will address technologies and building blocks maturation up to TRL5/6 and subsystem/system tests including system, vehicle integration, ground tests, low altitude flight system tests by 2023 and contribution to the preparation up to ground based system tests of suborbital flight system tests by 2025. The execution of the suborbital tests is not part of the scope.
The activities will address enabling technologies maturation and demonstration at least in all of the following areas:
- low cost GNC and avionics (hybridation techniques, navigation sensors, modular, reconfigurable),
- manoeuvring control devices,
- Health Monitoring System (HMS), propellant management,
- aerodynamic devices,
- descent and landing/recovery systems, including low latency, closed loop communication systems for landing,
- on-ground servicing processes (refurbishment, check-out supported by automatic post flight analysis and repair and recertification for reused elements),
- safety critical processes before launch and after landing.
Call Total Budget
Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan
100%
EU contribution per project: between € 30,00 and € 39,00 million
Thematic Categories
- Research, Technological Development and Innovation
- Space
Eligibility for Participation
- Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
Eligibility For Participation Notes
- Some activities, resulting from this topic, may involve using classified background and/or producing of security sensitive results (EUCI and SEN).
- Participation is limited to legal entities established in Member States Iceland, Norway and the United Kingdom.
The eligibility of entities established in the UK to participate is conditional upon reciprocity of access to equivalent UK programmes for entities established in Member States, which will be assessed by the Commission as soon as such programmes are established and in any event before the signature of the grant agreements. Should the UK not open the participation in its relevant programmes to entities established in Member States, this condition would not be met and entities established in the UK will not be eligible to participate in this topic.
(further details in the work program)
Call Opening Date
Call Closing Date
National Contact Point(s)
Research and Innovation Foundation
29a Andrea Michalakopoulou Street, 1075 Nicosia
T.Th. 23422, 1683 Nicosia
+357 22205000
Email: support@research.org.cy
Dr Angelos Ntantos
Scientific Officer
Telephone: 35722205033
Email: antantos@research.org.cy
Dr Ioannis Theodorou
Scientific Officer
Telephone: 35722205038
Email: itheodorou@research.org.cy
(Publish Date: 03/12/2021-for internal use only)
EU Contact Point
Εuropean Commission, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation
https://ec.europa.eu/info/departments/research-and-innovation_en#contact