HPS Space News

September 2023

Space policy: The lights are red for strategic positioning and SMEs. (A commentary)

Erster September – der Herbst steht vor der Tür. Fallen werden bald die Blätter, so wie jedes Jahr. Fallen werden auch Entscheidungen, wie etwa über den nächsten Bundeshaushalt – ebenfalls wie jedes Jahr. Zum ersten Mal aber in der Geschichte der Raumfahrtpolitik drohen diese Budgetentscheidungen besonders jene Teile der Raumfahrtindustrie zu Fall zu bringen, als deren weiße Ritter sich die verantwortlichen Politiker in der Öffentlichkeit aller Wirklichkeit zum Trotz unverdrossen weiter präsentieren: Raumfahrt zum Schutz für die Erde und zum Nutzen der Menschen, wirtschaftliche Stärkung von Innovation durch den Mittelstand, Euphorie bei der Neugründung von Startups und nicht zuletzt den strategischen Wunsch Deutschland als starken Partner in der Weltwirtschaft und -politik zu behaupten.

Für diese Ziele schaltet die Ampel in Berlin aber nicht nur allein durch geplante Budgetkürzungen auf Rot: Mit den schon im April für die Diskussion im Herbst aufgemalten Eckpunkten einer neuen deutschen Raumfahrtstrategie, über die ebenfalls im Herbst beschieden werden soll, deutet sich unumkehrbar ein negativer Paradigmenwechsel in der Wirtschaftspolitik zur Raumfahrt an: da, wo „Resilienz“ gefordert wird, mit fliegenden Fahnen hin zur Großindustrie, da, wo „Exzellenz“ gezeigt werden soll, hin zur weiteren Stärkung der Staatsinstitutionen, dort, wo „Souveränität“ gefragt ist, im Eilschritt hin zum Fortdelegieren von Zielsetzung und Programmführung unter den Rocksaum der mächtigen EU. Und die deutsche Raumfahrt profitiert von noch mehr Engagement der Politik: Die für jede politische Sonntagsrede ach so wichtigen Startups erhalten kostenlosen Nachhilfeunterricht im Umgang mit der Bürokratie und ihren Antragsformularen, die Forschungslandschaft wird effektiver durch bessere Vernetzung, und KMU, die Kraft aus der Mitte? Sie erhalten Unterstützung auf neuem Niveau – moralisch. Oder wie sollte sonst eine Budgetkürzung bei einer weltweit anerkannten Zukunftstechnologie und -fähigkeit (z.B. die Beteiligung an Infrastrukturthemen wie für eine europäische satellitengestützte Kommunikation IRIS²) mit einer Neuauflage einer Raumfahrtstrategie zusammenpassen?

Offenbar sollen also nun beide Handlungsstränge, das Kürzen des Raumfahrtbudgets und die neue, ausdrücklich für jedwedes Budget passende Raumfahrtstrategie harmonisch bei der Gestaltung der künftigen Raumfahrt-Wirtschaftspolitik zusammenwirken. Das Ganze so gekonnt formuliert, dass der flüchtige Leser meinen könnte, es ginge voraus in die helle Zukunft und nicht zurück ins dunkle Mittelalter der Raumfahrtpolitik.

Noch ist es nicht so weit, und damit es auch nicht so weit kommt, hat Ernst K. Pfeiffer in seiner Funktion als Sprecher des Raumfahrt-Mittelstandes (AKRK und Best of Space) zusammen mit deren Mitgliedern noch im Juli einen offenen Brandbrief im Namen der engagierten deutschen Raumfahrt-KMU und Startups direkt an den Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz geschrieben und zudem das Angebot von Finanzminister Christian Lindner zum Dialog im August angenommen, um auf die drohenden Gefahren wirtschaftlicher und strategischer Verluste hinzuweisen.

July 2023

Three months from Kick-off until the breadboard of the feed is tested

The picture shows our breadboard model of the feed developed by HPS for the BANT antenna during the RF test done at MVG Italy using the StarLab measurement system. The purpose of the test is to validate the feed design by comparing the RF simulations with the results of the measurement.
Adopting the New Space approach, it took only three months from the project Kick-off until the breadboard of the feed is tested. The flight model of the BANT antenna, where this feed will be installed, will be ready to be integrated on the spacecraft at the end of this year, the satellite will be then placed in Low Earth Orbit for a remote sensing mission.

July 2023

Antenna specialist HPS congratulates German Aerospace Center, DLR

With the perfect launch on 05.07.2023 of the last Ariane 5, the Heinrich Hertz mission has now begun. The technical ambitions of the project now depend crucially on the reliability of the invisible umbilical cord of the data transmission between sky and earth, satellite and ground station as on the #sidedeployable “H2NBA” (Heinrich Hertz North Beam Antenna) from the house of the German antenna specialist HPS.

The Ka-band antenna from HPS with reflector (completely made of CFRP), feed-chain & tower, “hold-down-and-release-” as well as “deployment- and pointing-mechanism“, is extremely lightweight and at the same time geometrically stable. It offers high Eigenfrequency and is not only suitable for the intended data transmission in the high-frequency Ka-band, but also for the even higher frequency band Q/V-band. On 09.07.2023 the HPS-Antenna has successfully been deployed, which is always one of the most critical steps of larger satellite antennas after launch. Now it means, the mission’s data transfer can start.

Ernst K. Pfeiffer, CEO of HPS: “We warmly congratulate DLR, the mission prime OHB, our direct customer TESAT (payload responsible) and all others involved in this ambitious project on the launch of the mission and the successful first steps in setting the satellite into operation. All of us at HPS are proud to have contributed our part to the central communications technology with the H2NBA sviveling antenna.”

The Heinrich Hertz Mission and its partners:
The Heinrich Hertz mission is the first time that a dedicated German communications satellite has been launched to research and test new technologies and communications scenarios. The mission is thus also making a contribution to the information society in Germany. The Heinrich Hertz mission is being led by the German Space Agency at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in Bonn on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK) and with the participation of the Federal Ministry of Defense (BMVg). OHB-System AG was contracted to develop and build the satellite. Also involved in the development and testing of the satellite are the companies IABG GmbH, MDA AG and TESAT GmbH & Co. KG are also involved in the development and testing of the satellite. The ground segment with the control center in Bonn is being handled by OHB Digital Connect in conjunction with CGI. The sites for the new ground stations are located in Hürth (North Rhine-Westphalia) and Neustrelitz (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania). Arianespace is responsible for launching the mission on board the Ariane 5 launcher (VA261). A total of 42 partners are involved in the mission – 14 of them on the scientific payload – one of them is HPS.

July 2023

State-of-the-art antenna to serve one of the most ambitious science missions ever

HPS, leading provider of advanced antenna- and reflector-technologies, applauds the ESA – European Space Agency and to the mission prime ThalesAleniaSpace (Italy) to the launch of space mission EUCLID (within European Space Agency’s Cosmic Vision Programme) on Saturday, 01.07.2023, which aims to unravel the mysteries of the dark universe and gain insights into the nature of „dark matter“ and „dark energy“. On Sunday, 09.07.2023 it has been confirmed that the „K-band signal has been received from EUCLID“ by the ground station on Earth.

Euclid is now the biggest transmitter of data (in terms of data rate of about 74 Mbps) from trans-lunar space: Read here the article from ESA

EUCLID´s “Antenna Reflector Assembly (ARA)” developed by HPS, together with its subcontractor Invent represents a significant advancement in space communication technology. Its innovative design and advanced features make it an ideal choice for the mission, enabling high-speed data transmission and reception from the spacecraft to Earth and back, bridging the distance of 1,5 Mio km. A deep “Thank You” for the trust into our team to our Customer Chain TAS (SP) – TAS (IT) – ESA, backed by our German Space Agency DLR.

Key features of the HPS ARA:

1. Enhanced Signal Reception: The CFRP-based reflector’s high-gain capabilities, also under high temperature grades far away in L2-orbit, ensure optimal reception of the weak signals from the EUCLID spacecraft, enabling precise data collection on Earth from distant corners of the universe.
2. High-Speed Data Transmission: Equipped with the reflector‘s state-of-the-art transmission CFRP material technology, the HPS-antenna facilitates rapid data transfer in K-band, allowing for real-time analysis and quick response to mission requirements.
3. Robustness and Reliability: Designed to withstand the harsh conditions during launch and in space, the reflector assembly is built with durable materials.
4. Compact and Lightweight: HPS` antenna design prioritizes accommodation efficiency without compromising its performance. Its compact size and lightweight construction optimize interface loads to the spacecraft and payload capacity.

“We are thrilled to contribute significantly to the EUCLID mission with our advanced reflector assembly,” says Ernst K. Pfeiffer, CEO of HPS. “Our cutting-edge CFRP-technology, developed for more than 15 years, can now play a crucial role in facilitating seamless communication between the spacecraft and ground stations, allowing the investigation of dark material by huge amount of data downloaded to Earth.”

Picture by ESA

June 2023

Germany´s leading collision avoidance system reliably predicts the perfect slot for descent through tons of debris and space traffic.

When, after two, five or more years of operation, a satellite is supposed to leave its orbit and re-enter Earth, it’s a ride on the skyway to hell in two respects: first, for the satellite which is destined to burn up in the atmosphere, but also for other satellites as well as for an encounter with scrap parts that could hit it like unguided missiles – and produce even more junk. Satellites equipped with the ADEO braking sail from HPS are already in automatic descent mode. From now on, however, this can be upgraded by the Collision Avoidance system from industry-leading German startup OKAPI:Orbits. The company emerged as a spinoff from Braunschweig University of Technology in 2018 after over 40 years of intensive research. This Collision Avoidance System minimizes the collision risk during the de-orbit trajectory by figuring out the situation even ten days in advance. Appropriate maneuvers are also recommended for the satellite’s control system. This is made possible by the unique AI behind OKAPI:Orbits.

“Picture a distant view of 6.72 million kilometers of orbits on which about 10,000 satellites, 1,000,000 large and medium objects and 130,000,000 small ones exist that are not currently trackable. This is how complex computing operations is. Now, we should also take into account their velocity of 20,000 to 30,000 kilometers per hour. To any human sensibility, this is pure chaos, which the artificial intelligence behind our Collision Avoidance Software handles with aplomb,” says OKAPI’s company CEO Kristina Nikolaus.

Ernst K. Pfeiffer, CEO of HPS, a medium-sized innovation company, adds, “Our ADEO braking system not only performs the fastest possible passive descent even under adverse conditions – for example, when the satellite is already dead – it is also the deorbit solution with the largest safety reserve directly on board. Customers who don’t want to rely solely on their own software to control their satellites will find a unique safety architecture for the deorbit of almost all satellites with ADEO’s optional assistance systems for position tracking (Aviosonic) and optimal descent prediction (OKAPI:Orbits) at HPS.” ADEO is under discussion as a deorbit subsystem for the satellites of Europe’s coming constellation IRIS2 and “together with the features of Aviosonic and OKAPI:Orbits it levers the constellation to the most secure and sustainable one also after satellites’ nominal lifetime.”

During descent, the combination of all three technologies onboard the satellites will increase significantly the orbit determination and prediction, which is a unique advantage also for other satellites, constellations and stakeholders like owners, operators, and insurers.

June 2023

HPS Joins Net Zero Space Initiative to Drive Sustainable Space-Tech Innovation

[Munich-Bucharest-Paris, June 12th, 2023] – HPS GmbH, a leading technology company specializing in cutting-edge solutions, is pleased to announce its membership in the Net Zero Space Initiative, an ambitious global movement dedicated to supporting sustainable practices and innovations in space.

The Net Zero Space Initiative brings together industry leaders, organizations, and experts from various sectors to collaborate on finding concrete solutions to combat space debris, thus preserving not only the economic and scientific benefits of outer space, but also its strategic potential in addressing urgent challenges such as climate change. By joining this esteemed network, HPS reaffirms its commitment to environmental stewardship and especially to a sustainable development of space infrastructures.

As a member of the Zero Space Initiative, HPS GmbH will actively contribute to the collective efforts aimed at developing sustainable technologies and practices across its operations. The company will leverage its expertise and its political as well as its industrial network to drive transformative change.

HPS drives advanced technology solutions like the world market leading deployable deorbit sail “ADEO” which enables quick decay of satellites until re-entry, reducing the risk of in-orbit collisions. By joining the Net Zero Space Initiative, the company aims to accelerate these efforts, collaborating with like-minded partners and leveraging collective knowledge to drive greater impact.
“We feel that as a part of the Net Zero Space Initiative we are with the right people,” said Dr. Ernst K. Pfeiffer, CEO of HPS. “At HPS, we believe that sustainability is both, a responsibility and an opportunity for innovation.
By collaborating with the Net Zero Space Initiative, we can amplify our efforts in developing and implementing sustainable solutions, contributing to a “greener” future in space and for our planet.”

As an advocate for sustainability, HPS GmbH Germany, as well as its affiliate HPS S.R.L. Romania, remain committed to driving positive change through its products, services, and operations. The company’s membership in the Net Zero Space Initiative represents a significant milestone in its sustainability journey.

May 2023

HPS is Prepared to Provide ADEO Special Stealth Sail Edition for Europe´s IRIS² Constellation Satellites

The ever-growing number of satellites orbiting Earth presents a significant challenge in terms of space debris management. As space agencies and private companies deploy increasing numbers of satellites, finding effective and sustainable solutions for their safe disposal has become paramount. In this regard, the ADEO Deorbit Sail, developed by HPS offers a groundbreaking technology that enables controlled and efficient satellite deorbiting for mitigating space debris and ensuring long-term sustainability in space. By harnessing the natural forces present in space, such as solar radiation pressure and atmospheric drag, the sail facilitates controlled reentry of satellites into Earth’s atmosphere at the end of their operational life.

ADEO has already reached ESA´s hightest level of maturity, TRL 9 and proven its reliability on a number of spaceflights; getting ready to serve Europe´s new constellation IRIS2 its NewSpace-team at HPS, Munich, take it even one step further and introduce the ADEO special “stealth” sail edition. While irritating reflections and view blocking effects of conventional constellations like Starlink cause a permanent nuisance to other users of space like astronomers during flight and deorbit, the constructors of Europe´s constellation IRIS2 are going can count on to receive from HPS an exclusive offer for a special version: the ADEO Stealth Sail –invisible, fully transparent and also available for most satellite types and operational orbits.

As HPS-CEO Ernst K. Pfeiffer explains: “Our ADEO deorbit system already presents numerous benefits and applications in satellite end-of-life management like cost- & mass-effective and sustainable deorbiting, compliance with current and future Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines, flexibility and adaptability. Now, with the special stealth version for dedicated to the architects of Europe´s IRIS2 constellation we take the decisive step to let Europe set yet another standard in space sustainability”.

Mai 2022

Aviosonic´s patented DeCAS for tracking and re-entry footprint prediction extending high-tech-lead of Europe´s satellite deorbit system “ADEO” unassailably

(Munich-Milano, May 10^th, 2023). At testified TRL-9 and with solid flight heritage the sail system “ADEO” already is the leading device for quickly deorbiting almost all satellites, thus preventing spacecrafts after their end of mission from becoming as well as producing new space junk for years to come. Because it is a sail, it does not produce any pollution itself, chemical or otherwise, and because this very sail will be in its next version also transparent and absolutely non-reflective, it does not cause any irritations to any space observer on earth. Munich based spacetech innovator HPS, a medium sized company with a subsidiary in Romania and a total headcount of 80, has invested – together with several institutional and industrial partners – 12 years of constant development and qualifying into ADEO, and is now ready to take yet another giant leap by joining innovative forces with Aviosonic Space Tech, Milan/Italy.

Aviosonic Space Tech, born in 2015, owns the patented DeCAS system (Debris Collision Alert System) for in-orbit/de-orbit tracking and re-entry footprint prediction of space vehicles. DeCAS is a 1U mm system which always maintains a constant link with the ground operation center allowing precise information on the satellite position, aliong with the calculation of the re-entry footprint in real time, with the aim of collision avoidance between satellites, satellites and aircrafts as well as to alert government agencies. The technical characteristics and modularity allow DeCAS to be installed on any space vehicle, offering different services depending on the mission requirements. DeCAS, which took part in different space missions, provides a unique service for satellite tracking, decommissioning and re-entry prediction in real-time.

Prof. Piermarco Martegani, CEO of Aviosonic Space Tech says:”The integration between DeCAS and ADEO allows the creation of a unique product on the market capable of strongly implementing the safety of space operations both during orbital and decommissioning re-entry phses, even in the event of failure of the hosting satellite. This safety information is also needed by the Air Traffic Management System. The collaboration between Aviosonic Space Tech and HPS is the demonstration that in order to guarantee safety during space operations, an international cooperation between SMEs is necessary.”

HPS-CEO Ernst K. Pfeiffer shows bulletproof confidence in the future of ADEO on the world market and emphasizes: “ADEO has all the facts on its side: first, all space industry badly needs a deorbit device like ADEO, since the faster the sail opens free orbit positions, the longer we can keep space as a sustainable surrounding. And, from second to infinite: ADEO combines TRL9 and flight heritage, offers a comprehensive range of models, beats economically as well as ecologically any other type of deorbit device, also it is already in serial production at HPS. And now we even join forces with the two outstanding innovators in their fields, and others will join, underlining once again what´s at the core of ADEO: 100 percent European, 100 percent SME, 100 percent sustainability in space – and exactly what Europe wants for Iris².”

Contact for further information:
HPS: Dr. Daniel Stelzl, stelzl@hps-gmbh.com
Aviosonic: Prof. Piermarco Martegani, Piermarco.Martegani@aviosonic.it
ADEO Dossier: German: (https://www.hps-gmbh.com/tag/adeo/)
ADEO Dossier: English: (https://www.hps-gmbh.com/en/tag/adeo-en/)
Video: https://youtu.be/pUeSZzdn_6c

April 2023

All Launch Windows are closing for Satellites Without ADEO or Equivalent Deorbit Tech

After FCC, SpaceX, and ESA now also the three German startups racing for the smaller launchers` pole position in the commercial market made it clear that tickets to space will be available only to satellites prepared to be able to deorbit quickly after service.

The companies made their points recently in statements to the German space magazine “Raumfahrt Concret”.

For more details see: RCI-Newsletter-1-2023.pdf (hps-gmbh.com)

Ernst K. Pfeiffer, CEO of HPS, the German spacetech company that has developed ADEO to become the number 1 deorbit device for spacecrafts on the market, comments: “While we witness many cases of exorbitant differences in opinions when it comes to principles the space industry should follow, it is with great relief that we see this case ruled by unanimous voices echoing the new green spirit of deorbit from everywhere.”

January 2023

3 – 2 – 1 – Next liftoff for the HPS space sail ADEO-N3 on the satellite carrier ION of the Italian mission provider D-ORBIT

Already in the heat of last summer, HPS in Munich was preparing for the third mission of the innovative space brake sail ADEO-N, which unfolds automatically at the end of the mission and drives “its” satellite into the atmosphere to burn up. This technology avoids the formation of new space debris already on the ground and finally makes space missions sustainable.

The ION Satellite Carrier with ADEO-N3 with its sail area of 5sqm has been on board a Falcon 9 since the picture book start on January, 31, 2023 from spaceport Vandenberg, California, now on the way to the target orbit at 270 to 500 km altitude at 53 degrees inclination. Probably by the end of 2023 ADEO-N3 will then, as on previous flights – including one with ION also on Falcon 9 – deploy the braking parachute and remove its ION Satellite Carrier from orbit without leaving any residue many times faster than usual. With the flight heritage accumulated by then, the mature ADEO system heralds a “green” space age. Because at least for European missions or missions from Europe, there will – in all probability – no longer be any more launches without deorbit tech on board: The Green Deal of the EU will then also apply to “clean-green missions” in space.

On the current flight, ADEO-N3 acts as another verification of maturity for HPS. D-Orbit and HPS already captured what will happen high above the earth during a nominal mission as historical testimony on video during the last flight:
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7021106640993021952

Video is free for publication

The attached video, recorded directly on site with the on-board camera of the ION satellite of the Italian cooperation partner D-Orbit, provides live proof: with the product of HPS, which is now ready for series production after twelve years of development with great support from ESA, DLR and the Bavarian government, a new era of responsibility in space is beginning. ADEO is manufactured in series by HPS at its sites in Munich and Bucharest, primarily for constellation satellites. ADEO products are available for satellites weighing up to 2,500 kilograms at flight altitudes of up to 800 km. Even higher-flying satellites can be operated with ADEO if they have previously lowered their orbit accordingly using their own propulsion. HPS CEO Ernst K. Pfeiffer: “With ADEO on board, satellites do not become space junk in the first place. And at conditions that are ALWAYS more economical than all other options.”