Small Innovative Launcher for Europe

Abstract

The market for small satellites is expected to increase substantially in the coming years, but there is little capacity to launch them affordably. No operational dedicated launcher for small satellites exists today. Small satellites, launched as secondary payloads, are entirely dependent on the constraints set by the primary payload, such as launch date and target orbit. Launch costs of less than €50,000 per kg of payload are required in order to directly compete with piggy-back ride shares. With a dedicated launcher a higher cost per kg can be accepted for payloads which need to be delivered timely and accurately to a desired orbit. --- A consortium of 13 companies and institutes are joining forces in a Horizon 2020 work programme to design a dedicated small launcher to be built in and launched from Europe. The project is called “SMall Innovative Launcher for Europe” (SMILE) starting in 2016. The SMILE project aims at a combined research approach into a new innovative European launcher for an emerging market of small satellites up to 50 kg using a multidisciplinary design and optimisation approach strengthened by the demonstration of critical technologies for cost-effective solutions and complemented with the design of a European-based launch capability from Andøya (Norway). For the intended market, cost reduction is essential. One option to reduce cost is to apply reusability of one or more of the stages. Cost can also be reduced by applying commercial industry-grade components. Another means of cost reduction is through volume production. Finally, the production process can be optimized for cost, e.g. automated manufacturing for composite parts and 3D-printing for metallic parts. Critical launcher technologies in various expertise areas will be developed in SMILE, but this paper focusses on the rocket engine developments and their impact on cost reduction and design since the engines are the most critical and expensive parts of a launcher. For the rocket propulsion system, both hybrid engines and reusable liquid engines are assessed.