Periodic Reporting for period 2 - CHEOPS MEDIUM POWER (Consortium for Hall Effect Orbital Propulsion System – Phase 2 covering MEDIUM POWER needs)
Reporting period: 2022-03-01 to 2023-08-31
To prepare future large satellite missions, replace obsolete networks, introduce new on-board technological advances, or meet the spacecraft missions of the future, Europe must offer to its satellite industry a competitive and highly reliable European medium power Hall-effect Electric Propulsion System able to provide sufficient power to perform both orbit raising and station keeping duties.
Based on CHEOPS Phase I results, the ambition of the CHEOPS MP project is to make the European space industry more competitive in the medium-term by proposing on the worldwide market an EPS optimized design delivering high thrust/high specific impulse and improved lifecycle duration to address traditional applications (telecom and navigation market) as well as new space applications (typically in-orbit servicing market). For this CHEOPS MP focuses not only on the requirements generated by the future market needs, but also on key challenges relative to non-recurring and recurring cost reduction in terms of design, manufacturing, test qualification and time to deliver. On an industrial level. the project aims at reduced fabrication cycles, improved quality, leaner manufacture, faster assembly lead times, and improved tolerance management. Ultimately, CHEOPS MP aims to influence design and manufacturing paradigms in the long term in order to increase valuable payload and generated revenues.
The CHEOPS MP consortium is led by Safran Spacecraft Propulsion and comprises representatives of the most valuable EPS supply chain and academia in Europe. Over the course of the project incremental developments at system and sub-system levels will enable to increase maturity of the different system elements (TU, PPU, FMS) up to TRL6/7 by 2024.
To this end:
- The PPU will be optimized by removing unnecessary functions and re-selecting cheaper key components with at least constant reliability levels,
- The FMS will feature space qualifiable COTS to provide maximum mission suitability for variable number of thrusters per satellite, and
- The TU performance will cover a wide range of missions in the targeted market segment to avoid whole new product development for each new mission.
Based on CHEOPS Phase I results, the ambition of the CHEOPS MP project is to make the European space industry more competitive in the medium-term by proposing on the worldwide market an EPS optimized design delivering high thrust/high specific impulse and improved lifecycle duration to address traditional applications (telecom and navigation market) as well as new space applications (typically in-orbit servicing market). For this CHEOPS MP focuses not only on the requirements generated by the future market needs, but also on key challenges relative to non-recurring and recurring cost reduction in terms of design, manufacturing, test qualification and time to deliver. On an industrial level. the project aims at reduced fabrication cycles, improved quality, leaner manufacture, faster assembly lead times, and improved tolerance management. Ultimately, CHEOPS MP aims to influence design and manufacturing paradigms in the long term in order to increase valuable payload and generated revenues.
The CHEOPS MP consortium is led by Safran Spacecraft Propulsion and comprises representatives of the most valuable EPS supply chain and academia in Europe. Over the course of the project incremental developments at system and sub-system levels will enable to increase maturity of the different system elements (TU, PPU, FMS) up to TRL6/7 by 2024.
To this end:
- The PPU will be optimized by removing unnecessary functions and re-selecting cheaper key components with at least constant reliability levels,
- The FMS will feature space qualifiable COTS to provide maximum mission suitability for variable number of thrusters per satellite, and
- The TU performance will cover a wide range of missions in the targeted market segment to avoid whole new product development for each new mission.
During the first period, a system architecture study was done to allow the equipment to be used in different configurations with both the reference architecture and also architecture that could be suitable for others missions. In addition of this study, a first reliability analysis was done regarding the different architectures.
A clarification of the system inputs was done to precise the expectations for the thruster as well as the constraints on the system. Calculations on the system power needed, the power to thrust ratio, performances compromises between orbit raising and station keeping were studied and achieved.
The development logic was updated to take into consideration the development progress.
Preliminary design of the equipment was performed on the basis of co-engineering sessions and specifications refined towards the market evolution analysis. The Value creation strategy was also refined accordingly.
Bibliographic studies were performed to address the ECSS tailoring.
Upgrades were brought to the HYPHEN code to account for the internal and near plume of the thruster. The algorithms have been defined and implemented.
In parallel a first simulation of the PPS5000 has been performed.
The second period of the project mainly focused on:
- The refinement of the medium power EPS technical requirements, followed by the upgrade of the TU, FMS, and PPU designs accordingly. Based on the collection of the LSI needs, the refinement focuses on the equipment's design and operation improvement to offer both optimized orbit raising and station keeping phases. The system specification was approved through a PDR process. The integration of the Krypton alternative propellant was also taken into account with respect to the geopolitical situation and the business perspectives.
- The development of non-intrusive diagnostics, allowing reliable and high fidelity analysis of thruster’s performance and a deeper understanding of HET internal dynamics. The diagnostics system, used on a representative 5kW Safran thruster, managed to provide a real time insight of the oscillating dynamics up to hundreds of kHz with a single shoot acquisition time of the order of 1 sec, and revealed the presence of azimuthal rotating spokes in well-defined operating conditions.
- The development of on online software (Club Design), allowing to perform value cost studies across multiple applications. 8 different EPS design alternatives have been analyzed across 8 missions scenarios
- The development of modelling tools for the simulation of energetic plasma plumes: the code, so called EP2PLUS-2, was mainly improved in terms of electron manetize fluid model, allowing higher accuracy and better convergence for the magnetized physics
- The development of alternative approach for test and qualification: process models were proposed based on the current mapping of the test and qualification process after workshops with the industrial partners.
A clarification of the system inputs was done to precise the expectations for the thruster as well as the constraints on the system. Calculations on the system power needed, the power to thrust ratio, performances compromises between orbit raising and station keeping were studied and achieved.
The development logic was updated to take into consideration the development progress.
Preliminary design of the equipment was performed on the basis of co-engineering sessions and specifications refined towards the market evolution analysis. The Value creation strategy was also refined accordingly.
Bibliographic studies were performed to address the ECSS tailoring.
Upgrades were brought to the HYPHEN code to account for the internal and near plume of the thruster. The algorithms have been defined and implemented.
In parallel a first simulation of the PPS5000 has been performed.
The second period of the project mainly focused on:
- The refinement of the medium power EPS technical requirements, followed by the upgrade of the TU, FMS, and PPU designs accordingly. Based on the collection of the LSI needs, the refinement focuses on the equipment's design and operation improvement to offer both optimized orbit raising and station keeping phases. The system specification was approved through a PDR process. The integration of the Krypton alternative propellant was also taken into account with respect to the geopolitical situation and the business perspectives.
- The development of non-intrusive diagnostics, allowing reliable and high fidelity analysis of thruster’s performance and a deeper understanding of HET internal dynamics. The diagnostics system, used on a representative 5kW Safran thruster, managed to provide a real time insight of the oscillating dynamics up to hundreds of kHz with a single shoot acquisition time of the order of 1 sec, and revealed the presence of azimuthal rotating spokes in well-defined operating conditions.
- The development of on online software (Club Design), allowing to perform value cost studies across multiple applications. 8 different EPS design alternatives have been analyzed across 8 missions scenarios
- The development of modelling tools for the simulation of energetic plasma plumes: the code, so called EP2PLUS-2, was mainly improved in terms of electron manetize fluid model, allowing higher accuracy and better convergence for the magnetized physics
- The development of alternative approach for test and qualification: process models were proposed based on the current mapping of the test and qualification process after workshops with the industrial partners.
Whilst the overall objective of the project is to mature the dual mode EPS up to a maturity level of TRL6/7, the specific technical objectives are as follows, supported by analyses, tests on equipment, modelling activities, diagnostics developments and value analyses:
Objective #1 - Achieve by the end of the project, a TRL6/7 for a Medium Power dual mode EPS (optimised both for high thrust for orbit raising and high Isp for station keeping), considering the contextual evolutions of the market need.
Objectives #2 - Demonstrate an EPS total cost reduction at platform level of at least 30% for satellites in GEO/NAV configuration using a Dual Mode Medium Power HET EPS system compared to the NEOSAT baseline. This can be achieved through two main ways: 1/ the application of design to cost and production rationalisation approaches at both system and sub-system level, along the complete product development cycle. 2/ The optimization of the system functionalities and specifications and their reflection in the associated specifications at equipment level, 3/ the incorporation in the equipment design of innovative technologies and COTS when relevant to reach the cost targets.
Objective #3 - Make significant progress in several intrusive and non-intrusive diagnostic approaches to improve ground testing techniques but also to be usable in space on a future In Orbit Demonstrator.
Objective #1 - Achieve by the end of the project, a TRL6/7 for a Medium Power dual mode EPS (optimised both for high thrust for orbit raising and high Isp for station keeping), considering the contextual evolutions of the market need.
Objectives #2 - Demonstrate an EPS total cost reduction at platform level of at least 30% for satellites in GEO/NAV configuration using a Dual Mode Medium Power HET EPS system compared to the NEOSAT baseline. This can be achieved through two main ways: 1/ the application of design to cost and production rationalisation approaches at both system and sub-system level, along the complete product development cycle. 2/ The optimization of the system functionalities and specifications and their reflection in the associated specifications at equipment level, 3/ the incorporation in the equipment design of innovative technologies and COTS when relevant to reach the cost targets.
Objective #3 - Make significant progress in several intrusive and non-intrusive diagnostic approaches to improve ground testing techniques but also to be usable in space on a future In Orbit Demonstrator.