Imagine building a rocket engine like a Lego set, using 3D printing to make it with fewer parts and much cheaper. It uses clean hydrogen fuel instead of toxic chemicals to be more eco-friendly. To make the rockets reusable, it adds a smart 'health check' system, similar to how a modern car warns you when a part needs replacing before it breaks.
European space launchers face high costs and intense global competition, making them less competitive. The lack of reusable engine technology and high part counts in propulsion systems drive up prices.
A demonstrator for a Green High Thrust Engine using liquid hydrogen, featuring 3D-printed subsystems and an AI-driven Health Monitoring System.
If you are a rocket engine manufacturer dealing with high production costs and complex assembly — this project developed additive manufacturing processes that reduce the number of engine parts. This allows for a significant drop in manufacturing expenses and faster assembly times.
If you are a satellite launch provider dealing with high launch prices and non-reusable hardware — this project developed an Edge AI Health Monitoring System. This technology is necessary to implement reusability, helping to halve launch prices in the short term.
If you are a 3D printing specialist dealing with the need to prove high-stress industrial applications — this project developed low-cost subsystems like nozzle extensions and valves using additive manufacturing. This demonstrates the ability to produce flight-ready, high-thrust hardware.
The project aims to improve competitiveness by halving the launch price in the short term. It achieves this by reducing engine part counts and developing low-cost subsystems.
Based on available project data, the project is preparing a demonstrator to mature these technologies. Full industrial scale follows the testing of this platform at the DLR P5 facilities.
Based on available project data, the consortium includes 18 partners including ArianeGroup and AVIO, but specific licensing terms are not provided.
The project period runs from 2022-11-01 to 2026-07-31, with the second year focusing on the maturation plan and test campaign preparation.
Edge AI and machine learning algorithms are used to create a Health Monitoring System. This system tracks engine status to enable the reusability of the propulsion system.
The consortium is heavily industry-driven with a 67% industry ratio, comprising 12 companies including major aerospace players ArianeGroup and AVIO. The presence of 7 SMEs and 4 research organizations suggests a strong pipeline from academic research (e.g., KU Leuven, Fraunhofer) to industrial application, specifically targeting the integration of AI and additive manufacturing into heavy aerospace hardware.
Contact ArianeGroup SAS in France for partnership inquiries.
Contact us to identify licensed AI health monitoring tools for aerospace.
