Imagine a smart 'emergency brake' for rockets that can decide to stop a flight on its own if things go wrong, without needing a person on the ground to flip a switch. It uses a flexible software setup that works like an app store, allowing different rocket parts to be plugged in easily. This makes launching satellites cheaper and faster because you don't need massive, expensive ground control setups.
Traditional rocket safety systems are too expensive and dependent on ground equipment, making it hard for new commercial space companies to launch quickly and cheaply.
An Autonomous Flight Termination Unit (AFTU) and a modular software execution platform (MIA) based on MPSoC technology.
If you are a small launcher startup dealing with high costs of ground-based safety infrastructure — this project developed an Autonomous Flight Termination Unit (AFTU) that reduces the need for complex ground systems. This allows for more responsive access to space and lower service costs.
If you are an avionics provider dealing with long development cycles for flight software — this project developed the MIA execution platform that enables reusable software. This leads to a considerable reduction in time for integration and verification.
If you are a spaceport operator dealing with rigid safety regulations tied to specific sites — this project developed a system that separates general sensors from site-specific abort rules. This makes the facility more flexible for different types of commercial rockets.
It reduces the need for expensive and complex ground infrastructure by moving the termination logic to an autonomous onboard unit. Based on available project data, this makes launches more affordable and flexible.
Yes, the AFTU software is fully user-configurable and segregates general functions from mission-specific abort rules. This allows it to be customized for various launchers and spaceports.
Based on available project data, the project focuses on a modular architecture and an 'AppStore-like' concept for software reusability, but specific licensing terms are not provided.
The system is designed to move away from solutions tightly linked to specific launch site regulations, offering a more independent and efficient solution for the global market.
The MIA platform is hardware-independent and uses COTS components with abstraction layers, which facilitates the integration of both manual and auto-coded software.
The consortium is heavily industry-driven with a 67% industry ratio, consisting of 6 partners across 4 countries. With 4 industrial partners and 3 SMEs, the project is strongly oriented toward commercial viability rather than pure academic research.
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