Advancing Space Access Capabilities - Reusability and Multiple Satellite Injection

Project Information

ASCenSIon

Grant agreement ID: 860956

DOI

10.3030/860956

Project closed

EC signature date 19 August 2019

Start date 1 January 2020

End date 29 February 2024

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Total cost

€ 3 881 057,76

EU contribution

€ 3 881 057,76

Coordinated by

TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET DRESDEN
Germany

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - ASCenSIon (Advancing Space Access Capabilities - Reusability and Multiple Satellite Injection)

Reporting period: 2022-01-01 to 2024-02-29

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Space science and technology have quietly become integral to our daily lives, facilitating faster internet, weather forecasts, navigation, precision farming, and natural disaster monitoring, among other benefits for European society. Recognizing the importance of independent access to space, the 22 member states of the European Space Agency affirmed this goal during the Ministerial Council in December 2016. At that time, the space sector was undergoing rapid transformation, transitioning from government control to a landscape with diverse global space actors, including private companies. This shift, accompanied by the emergence of smaller satellites and mega-constellations, presented new opportunities for space utilization. The launcher market played a significant role in this transition, marked by the success of Reusable Launch Vehicles (RLVs) like Blue Origin’s New Shepard and SpaceX’s Falcon 9.
As competition intensified, Europe responded by developing Vega C/E and Ariane 6 to maintain competitiveness and ensure independent access to space. Recognizing the need for innovation and a new generation of engineers, the ASCenSIon project focused on cutting-edge space access research and training. By fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and upskilling scientists, ASCenSIon aimed to sustain Europe's competitiveness in the launcher domain. Despite challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, ASCenSIon achieved its objectives through the dedication of the Early Stage Researchers and extended consortium members.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

ASCenSIon addressed diverse research and training fields within Europe's multidisciplinary space sector. Active involvement from academic institutes and industrial partners like TUD, UniPi, PoliMi, and others ensured comprehensive coverage. The Early Stage Researchers, guided by their individual supervisory teams, focused on three main areas:

-Propulsion technology advancement and reusability: Studies included advanced nozzle concepts, fatigue analysis of rocket engines, and systematic design studies of reusable launchers.
-Development of guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) systems: Research involved exploring sustainable alternatives to toxic upper stages, integration of green propellants, and studying multi-satellite delivery challenges from a GNC perspective, among others.
-Exploration of aero-thermo-dynamics for re-entry and safe disposal: Efforts focused on understanding aerodynamic control surfaces for re-entry control, alongside database construction for predicting aerodynamic coefficients and heat fluxes, as well as the effects of rocket debris and their mitigation.

Additionally, WP5 objectives included organizing joint and local training activities, evaluating their effectiveness, and formulating Career Development Plans for each ESR. Responsibilities encompassed managing training activities, overseeing scientific communication, and supporting language learning to integrate into local research communities. Thus, within ASCenSIon, the 15 researchers gained scientific and transferable skills enhancing their career prospects.

The project led to the publication of more than 80 articles including conference proceedings and articles in high-profile journals such as IEEE, Springer and Acta Astronautica journals. All of the papers are openly accessible. From the project’s point of view, effective dissemination of information about the project was established via the ASCenSIon website (https://ascension-itn.eu). This includes open positions, research results, publications, public presentations, press releases and experimental raw data (as appropriate). The website was the core platform for communication and incorporates all features that enable a bi-directional contact. The website takes into consideration the communication with different target audiences and stakeholders like scientific experts or the general public. LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/ascensionitn/) with 1430 followers in particular deserves a special mention. Active campaigns especially for the outreach of ASCenSIon final conference were run in the social media. The ESRs have been actively contributing to further disseminate the project by posting articles about their various active participation in conferences, workshops and training activities. On the other hand, a promotional video about ASCenSIon was filmed in collaboration with DLR and Story Runner, which can be found in the AScenSIonwebsite, LinkedIn and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFHSew0vrJw) pages.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The network didn't just propose design concepts; it also identified and advanced critical technologies to prove their feasibility. All work packages were executed simultaneously to ensure strong interconnection and steady information exchange among the IRPs. Various methodologies were applied across different research fields, leveraging the expertise, empirical databases, manufacturing capabilities, market insights, and testing facilities of industry partners like AG, OHB, and AVIO. The 15 ESRs gained several skills through their training, including:
-Excellent research abilities demonstrated through high-quality journal publications.
-Proficient communication skills enabling effective interaction across academic, industrial, and governmental sectors, including multilingual proficiency.
-High level of personal effectiveness, including independence, teamwork, self-discipline, and persistence.
-Engagement in entrepreneurship, innovation, ethical awareness, and social understanding.

ASCenSIon logo with claim