After earning my engineering degree, I started my career at
From project to project, I developed my expertise, especially in mechanical engineering. For instance, I studied special materials for hyper-stable structures: with ceramics, or optical mirrors that are used in some Earth observation satellites. I moved on to several R&D management positions, before being named coordinator of the EROSS+ (
What does the EROSS+ project entail?
After having coordinated the H2020 project I3DS (Integrated 3D sensors), aimed at developing an array of sensors for space exploration missions,
In
Following on from the original EROSS project, EROSS+ aims to develop a European solution for tomorrow's on-orbit servicing missions. These spacecraft will be tasked with a wide range of operations in orbit, including deorbiting satellites at end of life, robotic manipulation, extending satellite lifespan, refueling, inspection, etc. Kicking off in
The typical sequence for this type of demo mission includes the complete in-orbit phase for the 'Servicer' spacecraft's rendezvous with a 'Customer' satellite, then docking together to carry out the work. The overall purpose is to validate its ability to perform in-orbit operations of this type for future missions. Our aim is to perform an in-flight demonstration by 2026 so we can validate all the technologies needed for On Orbit Servicing.
What's the scope of possibilities for this type of spacecraft?
By capitalizing on
As you know, it costs a lot of money to get a satellite into orbit! One that operates in geostationary orbit (circling a fixed point on the Earth at an altitude of 36,000 km) generally offers a design life of 15 years. If a technical issue were to arise in orbit, we can't fix it. It would be impossible to send an astronaut to the satellite at that orbit; not only would the cost be prohibitive, but you'd probably need dozens of astronauts like Thomas Pesquet or
On Orbit Servicing is the ideal solution for this type of mission. As I said earlier, spacecraft fitted with robotic arms, grippers, tools, etc. would span a wide range of applications. The Servicer spacecraft would start by inspecting the customer satellite's environment, then rendezvous with it to perform the required maintenance.
For instance, consider the problem of space debris. Today, some 5,400 satellites are circling over our heads, but only 40% of them are in service: the balance - over half - therefore constitute space debris. The number of satellites in orbit has doubled in the last three years, and more than 10,000 satellites are expected to be launched in the next ten years. There are now some 34,000 objects larger than 10 centimeters in orbit as space debris. And if we consider all objects larger than 1 millimeter, the total explodes to 130 million! At the end of a mission, the On Orbit Servicing spacecraft will either redirect the satellite to a graveyard orbit, as done for geostationary telecom satellites, or send it back into the atmosphere to burn up, the preferred solution in the coming years for satellites in low Earth orbit.
At
Looking ahead, we will soon be seeing human missions to the Moon, and eventually even further into space. Today, you hear a lot about
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