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HPS Space News

Update on ADEO-N3


July 2022

Flight of ADEO at the end of 2022

At the height of the summer vacations, HPS in Munich is at full power for the preparations for the third mission of the innovative ADEO space braking sail, which deploys automatically at the end of the mission and propels “its” satellite up to 20 times faster to burn in the atmosphere. This avoids pollution and makes space travel sustainable.

It will arrive in Italy as early as the end of August for assembly on the ION Satellite Carrier, D-Orbit’s orbital transfer vehicle (OTV). It is the ADEO-N version for small satellites with a sail area of 5 square meters.

Falcon 9 from SpaceX will be responsible for the transport into a mid-inclination orbit towards the end of 2022. With the flight heritage accumulated by the end of the year, ADEO will enter a new space age in 2023.

At least for European missions or missions from Europe, there will most likely be no more launches without deorbit technology on board:
The EU’s Green Deal then also applies to clean-green missions in space.

ADEO as a standard for satellites


June 2022

Breaking News: ADEO dragsail by HPS as standard deorbit device for “Reflex Aerospace satellites”

Next milestone in commercializing ADEO dragsail for deorbit:

Reflex Aerospace (supplier of tailor made, high performance small satellite platforms) announces to use the automatic ADEO dragsail by HPS as standard deorbit device for their satellites. ADEO will guarantee a maximum deorbiting time of less than 5 years and contribute to Reflex Aerospace´s philosophy of responsible, sustainable and future-oriented space missions. Together we realize CleanGreen Space missions!

Reflex Aerospace: Trio Orbitale

Story of success with HPS onboard: EnMAP


May 2022

German Satellite EnMAP sends first pictures

The EnMAP hyperspectral imaging Satellite for VNIR/SWIR has successfully been launched on April 1st.
Now, the first images presented by Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR) demonstrates the excellent performance of the system.

HPS (DE) is proud of being on board of this great mission with the

  • extremely light-weighted Telescope Baffle (as subcontractor to the Mission Prime OHB System) and with
  • Thermal H/W for the Apperture Diffusor Mechanism (in contract to Beyond Gravity).
    HPS contributed also partly with its structural and thermal #engineering expertise during various EnMAP Phases.

More information about the mission can be found on:
https://www.dlr.de/content/de/artikel/news/2022/02/20220504_deutscher-umweltsatellit-enmap-sendet-erste-bilder.html?fbclid=IwAR38A-lRFhXnyqKJMIq3cTEHmPyeyMwotOXBRxR_78S9ww8rnBIuJSi3o1I

More information about our product can be found on: https://www.hps-gmbh.com/portfolio/subsystem-integrals/lightweight-structures-2/

©DLR

LDRS successfully passed the Requirements Review #2


March 2022

LDRS successfully passed the Requirements Review #2

Following, in 2021, the successful passing of both the Copernicus Imaging Microwave Radiometer (CIMR) System Requirements Review and the Large Deployable Reflector Subsystem (LDRS) TRL 5 Declaration milestones, our CIMR-LDRS team has now successfully passed, in March 2022, the LDRS Requirements Review #2.  Design requirements for the Ka-band LDRS EQM are now frozen and the EQM detailed design can begin.
 
Upcoming major milestones in 2022 include both the LDRS ICD Freeze and the LDRS TRL 6 Declaration this Summer, followed by the LDRS PDR planned in Q4, 2022. An important part of the LDRS TRL 6 Declaration milestone is the successful execution of Environmental Test campaign of the 8m diameter LEOB-EM Deployable Reflector by our partner, LSS, being performed at INTA (SP) under the Prime Contract leadership of HPS. Random and Sine Vibration testing is complete and Thermal Vacuum testing is currently in-progress.
 
CIMR is part of the European Space Agency (ESA) Copernicus program and on CIMR, HPS-Germany is the Prime Contractor for the LDRS under direct contract to the Mission Prime, Thales Alenia Space-Italy. HPS is working closely with its partner, LSS, as the Large Deployable Reflector responsible, and 15 other subcontractors and suppliers from 7 European nations to produce the first-ever all-European LDRS.

“ADEO” as an contribution to sustainability in the European Contellation


December 2021

World premiere: Deorbit-Turbosail „ADEO“ by HPS has been selected to safeguard sustainability of Europe´s own constellation

By 2025, Europe will have its own constellation of satellites to ensure sovereign capacity for both commercial and institutional communication channels. Fast Internet, autonomous mobility at sea, on ground and in the air, automatic exchange of information between technical installations, support for military and humanitarian actions, and other applications for public authorities, companies, and citizens realised by a consortium formed by Reflex, laser specialist Mynaric and launch service provider Isar Aerospace.

The European Commission is also very interested in such a concentration of innovative forces and selected the UN:IO consortium for one of its two study tenders addressed to companies from the so-called “New Space” domain and endowed with 1.4 million euros. For the EU, a secure, very fast and, above all, sovereign communications network for Europe is a top priority. In addition, it must meet sustainability criteria for the EU’s “Green Deal” – and that is where ADEO comes in: The ADEO subsystem is a scalable, deployable drag augmentation device that uses the residual Earth atmosphere present in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to passively de-orbit satellites between 1 to 1.500 kg. For the de-orbit manoeuvre, a large surface is deployed which multiplies the drag effect of the satellite´s surface significantly: The drag force is increased causing accelerated decay in orbit altitude. Advantageous about a drag augmentation device is that it does not require any active steering and can be designed for passive attitude stabilization, thereby making it also applicable for non-operational, tumbling spacecrafts. The passive ADEO subsystem requires neither extra propulsion nor engine, which makes it lighter in comparison to active subsystems.

So, after years of development, tests and zero-g- and in-orbit-verifications ADEO is now going to celebrate its world premiere as central element bringing sustainability to space on angel wings.

Europe has made its choice


August 2021

HPS receives final GO to build HERA antenna which is to broadcast deep space showdown in 2024

The first defense mission of planet Earth against asteroid aggressors from space will be broadcasted live through an antenna in deep space built by Munich-based aerospace company HPS. It prevailed in two competitive preliminary design phase contracts within Europe.

Experts are convinced that the HPS model offers the highest possible signal stability thanks to its extreme resistance to deformation in orbit and OHB Bremen, prime of the ESA mission, submitted this week the respective „Approval to proceed“ (ATP) to HPS for the rest of the development. The antenna must be delivered in November 2022 for the mission start in 2024. The schedule is tough: the critical design review will take place as early as September.

See also full story here: https://www.hps-gmbh.com/hera-high-noon-in-deep-space/

LEA-X5:  New Movie on the completion of the European 5m X-band LDRS


Juli 2021

Gladly we announce with a new 20-minutes-movie the completion of the H2020-development „LEA-X5“, the 5m class European Large Deployable Reflector Subsystem (LDRS) operating in X-band.

The film itself is of course showing recent environmental and deployment tests, but it is mainly about PEOPLE, who are space engineers and space enthusiasts, and what they can achieve with combined powers and brains. These people, together with the enablers European Commission and European Space Agency, are making the achievement of „European Non-dependance“ happen.

 

LEA-X5 is a full LDRS-Subsystem (lead by HPS, Germany) and comprises the

  • 5m diameter X-band reflector assembly (lead by LSS, Germany)
  • the 5m long deployable arm assembly (lead by HPS, Germany),
  • hinges & HDRMs (RUAG, DE),
  • deployment electronics (vH&S, DE),
  • thermal hardware (HPS/FHP).

Further partners of the H2020-consortium have been: INVENT (DE), FHP (PT), INEGI (PT), TICRA (DK), LUMA (SW), HPTEX (DE), ARQUIMEA(SP), HPS (RO), ETAMAX (DE), WSS (DE), ONERA (FR), TAS (FR), OHB (DE), Airbus (DE).

Most of the consortium members are introduced in the movie, inluding many interviews.

 

Take your time and enjoy the spirit of doing big things: LEA-X5 – European 5m X-band LDRS Completed (Final Report 06/2021) – YouTube

 

Best regards,

Your WeLEA-Consortium