Imagine a space taxi that doesn't just drop off passengers but comes back home to be used again. Instead of throwing away expensive satellites after one mission, this system uses a heat shield and a parachute to land safely back on Earth. It allows scientists to send experiments up, collect the results, and fly the same hardware again without spending a fortune.
Current space platforms are either too expensive for small research activities or are discarded after one use, creating orbital debris and wasting materials.
A preliminary design for a reusable small satellite including a green propulsion system, an inflatable heat shield, and a GNC system for controlled re-entry and recovery.
If you are a drug development firm dealing with the high cost of microgravity protein crystallization — this project developed a reusable spacecraft that provides a platform for microgravity manufacturing and returns the products back to Earth.
If you are a satellite operator dealing with orbital debris and high replacement costs — this project developed a reusable small satellite design that minimizes pollution and allows for mission aborts without losing the payload.
If you are an advanced materials manufacturer dealing with the inability to inspect orbital samples — this project developed a recovery system with a steerable gliding parachute that delivers physical results back to Earth for analysis.
The project focuses on a low-cost, flexible spacecraft that can be produced in large numbers and reused with minimal refurbishment. This reduces the need to build new satellites for every mission.
Based on available project data, the project focused on the preliminary design and the development of key technologies; it is not yet at full industrial scale.
Based on available project data, specific IP or licensing agreements are not listed, though the project was coordinated by the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche.
The system addresses debris mitigation and environmental pollution by ensuring a controlled re-entry and recovery of the spacecraft.
It uses a green propulsion system for de-orbit, an inflatable heat shield for re-entry, and a two-stage parachute system (drogue and steerable gliding parachute) for a soft landing.
The consortium is well-balanced for technology transfer, consisting of 6 partners across 4 countries. With a 50% industry ratio (3 industrial partners, including 3 SMEs), there is a strong link between the research conducted by the coordinator (CNR) and the commercial application of the satellite hardware.
Contact the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) in Italy regarding the EARS preliminary design.
Contact SciTransfer to find partners for the physical prototyping phase of reusable satellite modules.
