C3PO: advanced Concept for laser uplink/ downlink CommuniCation with sPace Objects represents a radical improvement in performance of existing ground to low earth orbit communication systems in terms of weight reduction, on-board power consumption, data rate and communication security & confidentiality. C3PO in figures: - Mass reduction by a factor 14 - On-board power consumption reduction by a factor 100 - Data rate increase by a factor 2 The project's objectives are to - Design a solution to improve actual downlink and uplink communication systems based on a non-space disruptive technology - Improve enabling Space Surveillance & Tracking technologies performances to meet the final system needs - Increase the Multiple Quantum Well Technology Readiness Level from 2 to 4 - Improve the overall perfromance of space communication systems - Identify the C3PO system market and Business Model - Increase the system safety (including regulation and governance issues) This is achieved through an operational analysis of the final system, the validation of major system parameters through 2 experiments, the consolidation of the system architecturen the elaboration of the associated development roadmap and the definition of the system Business Model. The Multiple Quantum Well retro-reflector technology, derived from non-space domain, is incorporated into the current state of the art as a high-rate lightweight communication device. Its development in the space sector has a disruptive impact on the satellites and satellite imagery markets, enabling new missions such as CubeSat earth observations. The proposed project serve the Union's Common Security & Defence Policy by increasing the satellite communications security. C3PO mobilises traditional space actors and non-space actors such as TEMATYS (SME) and ACREO (Research).

SPACEWAYS intends to create a common understanding of the guidelines and standards necessary to develop a Space Traffic Management (STM) concept for the European Union (EU). It also aims to assess European technical available and required capabilities (notably in the field of SSA/SST technologies) with respect to STM requirements; and to provide a set of STM best practices and recommendations in line with EU interests. This includes the preservation of a safe, secure and sustainable space environment as well as the reinforcement of European sovereignty and competiveness. Over its 18-month duration, SPACEWAYS’ first objective will be to analyse the policy, legal and economic context of STM. It will aim to better understand the STM concept’s dynamics worldwide and its consequences for Europe. While key space powers may attempt to create norms and regulations for future STM, SPACEWAYS intends to provide guidelines to support European policy making thereupon. In parallel, another goal will be to assess European capabilities and technology gaps with respect to future STM requirements. SPACEWAYS will identify stakeholders and users’ needs by associating them to the project through a networking platform. It will also proceed to a complete analysis of technical needs defined by future STM possible regulations. Both SSA/SST capabilities and technological developments related to new space missions and functions will be analysed. Here, specific attention will be devoted to mega constellation management, on-orbit operations or launch and re-entry future activities. These parallel lines of work will converge to produce a set of STM guidelines and best practices fully compatible with EU interests. They will be disseminated to relevant communities, to support the EU, as a major space and economic actor, to address future STM challenges.

Independent access to space is a key component of the European Space Policy. The competition is increasing in this area both for the full launching systems and the key subsystems. Cost-effectiveness becomes the main driving factor. HYPROGEO ambition is to study a propulsion module based on Hybrid chemical propulsion. Hybrid propulsion is not a new technology but its application to a transfer module or to a re-ignitable upper stage is very innovative. It is an interesting alternative for the GEO transfer, between the chemical propulsion (bi-liquid) and the new trend of Electrical Propulsion (EP). There are very good synergies and complementarities with the other propulsion activities. The proof of concept (specific impulse, thrust) has been demonstrated. The main technical challenge is the long duration firings. The future development of an operational system, already identified in the current roadmaps, requires advanced R&D work on 4 critical technologies: - Combustion chamber. - High endurance nozzle. - Catalytic injector. - Production, storage and use of high concentration hydrogen peroxide. These R&D activities structure 4 main work packages. A system study ensures the global vision in coherence with an economic analysis, the identification of technical challenges and the consolidation of scientific results. A last work package performs the dissemination of results. An innovative aspect is the fact that the R&D activities are directly driven by the ecvolution of market needs and system requirements. Main expected benefits are: - Green and simpler design (compared to bi-liquid). - Shorter transfer time and reduced cost of operations (compared to EP) A TRL 3-4 level is expected at the end of the project. The impact of the project is secured by the composition of the consortium led by Astrium with the main European actors of the hybrid: it contributes to the consolidation of the European industrial supply chain for Hybrid propulsion. Project duration is 36 months.

The space sector is a source of economic growth, jobs and exports, contributing to all Key Strategic Orientations of the EU strategic plan. Faced with growing competition and technological disruption, it is drastically vital to act in support of European space launchers development to preserve European independent access to space. European launchers must improve their competitiveness by halving launch price in the short term. In the long term, Europe will create common building blocks for an integrated and competitive European family of launchers of all scales with reusability functionalities. The purpose of ENLIGHTEN is to develop and test advanced production means and technologies for reusable rocket engines, following on the Prometheus® ESA program, in order to create a family of reusable, high-power engines fueled by bio-methane or green hydrogen. In the continuity of ENLIGHTEN, ENLIGHTEN-ED aims at maturate enabling technologies, subsystems, tools and processes by bringing them to TRL5/6. Then, ENLIGHTEN-ED will demonstrate the above technologies by engine on-ground demonstration tests by 2026 to reach TRL7. In the frame of ENLIGHTEN-ED, a tailored consortium (including major aerospace actors, SME, RTO and an university) will prepare a demonstrator of green high thrust engine (GTHE) based on liquid hydrogen using: - The latest advances in additive manufacturing to reduce the cost and number of engine parts, - Artificial Intelligence and machine learning to develop the first space engine health Monitoring System in Europe necessary to implement reusability, - New ultra-low-cost subsystems as engine ignition system, nozzle extension, electric valves and multi-functional lines. Therefore, ENLIGHTEN-ED will demonstrate the ability of such an ultra-low-cost engine to be rapidly operational and available for all European launcher families and thus strive to increase the competitiveness of European GTHE.

This proposal introduces a pioneering new on-orbit services system concept which would rapidly industrialize the European space ecosystem, making Europe a world leader in robotized and sustainable modular infrastructures as well as reusable launchers, with additional competitive benefits for a sustainable European digital industry and sovereign cloud autonomy. European space technology has now reached a level of maturity that makes possible a revolutionary – yet feasible – endeavour: the installation of internet data centres in orbit, in order to reduce the exponential impact of digital technology on energy consumption and on climate warming. The installation of large modular space infrastructures with robotic assembly, megawatt level space-based solar power, high throughput optical communications, low cost and reusable launchers, is now within the European space industry’s capability. The goal of the proposed study is to demonstrate that placing future data centre capacity in orbit, using solar energy outside the earth’s atmosphere, will substantially lower the carbon footprint of digitalization. Space data centres could therefore become an active contributor to the EC Green Deal objective of carbon neutrality by 2050, which would justify the investment required to develop and install such a large space infrastructure system. It would also strengthen Europe’s digital sovereignty and autonomy, for a sustainable and prosperous digital future. Given the ambition and huge potential impact of this project, which would become a major European flagship program, a broad system-level feasibility and business study is necessary. For that purpose, the ASCEND consortium has brought together major players in the fields of environment analysis (Carbone 4, Vito), data centres architecture, hardware and software (Orange, CloudFerro, HPE), space systems development (Thales Alenia Space, Airbus, DLR), and access to space (ArianeGroup).