European Projects

NEMESIS

NEMESIS – Novel Electride Material for Enhanced electrical propulSIon Solutions.
(1st Oct-2019 to 30th Sep 2022)

The NEMESIS project is a transversal project strategically aiming at developing electride-based cathode technology which is compatible with all kinds of electric propulsion (EP) systems requiring neutralization or electron emission addressing the full span of required electron currents from 50 mA to 5 A.

The ceramic electride C12A7:e– under development has superior properties to conventional ceramics employed in electric propulsion neutralizer technology, which are relevant for thermionic devices such as hollow cathodes or thermionic emitters. The C12A7:e- neutralizer technology boasts high reliability, compatibility with alternative propellants, as well as lower power consumption on satellites.

Results of the project are detailed in the following document:

View document

For more information, see the following links:

E.T.PACK

Electrodynamic Tether technology for Passive Consumable-less deorbit Kit
(1st Mar-2019 to 31st-May-2022)

The main objective of the project is the development of a deorbit device based on ElectroDynamic Tether (EDT) technology with TRL 4, was achieved by the team in 2022. It represented the first stone towards the main objective of the team: the preparation and commercialization of a set of products based on EDT technology. Among the envisaged applications of these products one finds the deorbiting space debris, the reboost of spacecraft, in-orbit servicing, and enable missions at very low orbits. All of them benefit from the propellant-less character of EDTs.

For more information, see the following links: