Project Work Packages

   
WP Leader
Contributors

WP1 Project Management

  • Monitoring of the project, in administrative and financial terms, to perform strategic and everyday management, and mediation in cases of conflicts. Run the steering and management committee, with the involvement of all partners.
  • Interface to the EC services and external actors, for liaison with and reporting to the Commission/REA, using the participant Portal according to the reporting obligations.
  • Ensure the quality of the project outcomes and ensure that the project development will be in line with existing and future Space related standards and targeted Space missions.
  • Ensure that all ethical and legal issues related to the project research are properly considered and any relevant conventions are respected.
  • Identify and mitigate project risks by performing effective risk management.
  • Monitor the innovation and IPR management.

  

 

WP2 Future applications

  • Definition of two study cases (future Earth and Mars applications)
  • Definition of mission and system requirements and standard (if applicable)
  • To propose feasible IAD concepts for the applications selected
  • To trade-off and select an IAD concept per mission using concurrent engineering
  • To provide a review of the technology context and available roadmaps

   

WP3 Preliminary design

  • To provide a preliminary system design for each application (Earth, Mars) selected in WP2
  • To perform a preliminary mission analysis and GNC definition and identification of operative environment
  • To identify aerothermodynamics drivers and constrains useful for preliminary design
  • To present a preliminary inflatable heatshield subsystem design (for both TPS membrane and Inflatable structure) according with WP2 outputs with candidate materials for each parts
  • To specify preliminary technical requirements for the inflatable heatshield subsystem
  • To define a technology roadmap for future space exploration mission using inflatable heatshields

 

WP4 Detailed design

The objective of this WP is to achieve a detailed design of the IAD system, inclusive of: inflatable elements, TPS membrane and all equipment required for inflation and deployment. The design will take into account both the Mars Exploration and the Earth RLV application cases. This WP will benefit of results of the first set of tests campaigns to be undertaken by WP5 and WP6 and will serve for the consolidation of the test conditions of the second loop of test campaigns in WP5 and WP6.

 

 

WP5 TPS materials tests

  • Specification of appropriate test environments based on the study cases defined in WP2
  • Definition of suitable test conditions for arcjet tests in Martian and Earth atmosphere
  • Design and manufacturing of test assemblies and interfaces
  • Procurement of all materials for TPS testing
  • Manufacturing of models for material characterization and arcjet tests
  • Characterization of all materials envisaged for use as flexible TPS
  • Identification and selection of appropriate instrumentation and optical measurement systems
  • Thorough preparation of the arcjet facilities
  • Performance of comparative arcjet tests on candidate TPS materials
  • Performance of arcjet tests on an optimized inflated TPS system
  • Assessment and reduction of measured data for further analysis in WP7

WP6 IAD structural tests

  • Provide a test plan for structural test campaign with tests definition and specifications.
  • Procurement of materials (for TPS membrane and Inflatable structure) useful to preparation of samples for a mechanical characterisation at material level and IAD model scale 1:1 level
  • Manufacturing of samples for 1st loop test (material level) and for 2nd loop test (model scale 1:1 or system level)
  • Execution of mechanical test at material level and results reporting
  • Manufacturing of samples Execution of mechanical test at model level and results reporting

WP7 Test results analyses and model validation

  • An analysis of capability and performance of the TPS membrane with respect to WP5 and WP6
  • An analysis of capability and performance of the inflatable structure with respect to WP5 and WP6
  • A validation of the aerothermodynamics modelling of the ground tests

 

WP8 Consolidated design for future IOD mission

The objective of this work package is to define a future In Orbit Demonstrator mission to allow in-flight test and certification of the advanced inflatable thermal protection system developed in EFESTO. This IOD mission will be defined according to the technology development map identified in WP4, and will use the consolidated design models and technology solutions identified, tested, and verified in WP2-3-4-5-6 and 7. The WP tasks will be run in parallel in order to maximize the interaction between the different design fields, and optimize the management of design loops.

 

 

WP9 Dissemination & Exploitation

The activities aim at (i) ensuring maximum awareness and visibility of the technological achievements and results of the project, (ii) making known new developments that could be obtained as a part of the project results and encouraging their use, both scientifically and operationally. The objectives of this WP are:

  • To guarantee an adequate level of information shared among the consortium partners
  • To communicate public results of the project and its findings
  • To engage the scientific community, space and non-space experts, with the technological advances obtained
  • To disseminate the outcomes of the project, increasing the public consensus on space missions
  • To fascinate new generations of students