Generic space technologies

Each proposal shall address only one of the following sub-topics:

a) Innovative solutions for very high power systems, including solutions for power generation, storage, control and distribution able to support highly dissipative missions requirements. Innovation is sought in the areas of the high power electrical propulsion (> 20 kW) consistent with activities under the "In-space electrical propulsion and station keeping" SRC, very high throughput satellites, high power active antennas in high frequency bands, high capacity battery cells, low-cost ultra-capacitors, technologies for flexible/foldable arrays (aiming at >25 kW, addressing mechanical architecture and flexible solutions), regenerative fuels cells, low cost direct drive units, solar cells;

b) Innovative thermal control solutions for high temperature missions: high power communications, high voltage and high power systems, pose growing challenges to the thermal budget of the spacecraft or re-entry vehicle. Innovation is sought in the area of materials and thermal control solutions (e.g. heat pumps, advanced loop heat pipes, mechanical pumped loops, flexible self-regulated heaters), addressing thermal protection, thermal regulation, thermal stability, materials with variable emissivity/absorptivity; innovative thermal control surfaces, conductive/dissipative carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) panel;

c) Spacecraft bus stability and line-of-sight technologies: critical sensors and actuator solutions for high stability and line-of-sight control at spacecraft platform level, including sensors and actuators, focusing on competitiveness through efficiency and miniaturisation (and hybridisation);

d) Advanced materials, structures and production techniques (e.g. additive manufacturing): activities shall address technologies applied to space flight elements manufacturing with a focus on low-cost on-ground manufacturing processes in support to mega-constellations or on on-orbit manufacturing processes in support to space exploration;

e) Ground systems with massive processing: data processing capabilities of missions for different applications, including ground control stations for remote sensing operations; processing power and speed, post-processing, data fusion, data networks, configuration life-cycle management and operations (particularly for constellations, including mega-constellations), integration of new technologies in ground systems and data processing (big data archiving and retrieval, smart data optimisation, automated data processing, distributed data platforms, artificial intelligence, full automation), distributed data exploitation platform.

Low cost solutions based on components off the shelf (COTS) are encouraged.

Participation of industry, in particular SMEs, is encouraged too.