ASPIRE’s Newsletter release
We are excited to share the ASPIRE Newsletter! ASPIRE is a pioneering EU funded project that is reshaping the landscape of Electric Propulsion (EP) technologies. The project is dedicated to advancing the development of a durable 20kW Hall-Effect Thruster System, with efforts to achieve a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of up to 6, while some units have already reached TRL7. This initiative is focused on enhancing the Electric Propulsion System, as a strategic action to enable European capabilities for exploration, interplanetary transportation and servicing applications.
ASPIRE’s Simulation-aided Qualification strategy: A first-of-its-kind document
Throughout the ASPIRE project, Imperial College London (ICL) has been championing the concept of “computer-aided” qualification for Hall thrusters and Electric Propulsion (EP). This concept serves to drastically cut the cost and time of development and qualification of novel EP technologies, ultimately obviating a long-standing barrier on the path of upscaling and transformation of EP in light of the emerging space applications and their associated requirements.
A cornerstone of ASPIRE project is the creation of a first-of-its-kind document that outlines the elements and steps towards implementing simulation- and computer-aided strategies for qualification. This document is part of a detailed roadmap and showcases how advances in computational and diagnostic capabilities, achieved through ASPIRE, can lead to the market delivery of the HT20k Hall thruster. This approach addresses both the cost/time and technical reliability roadblocks.
The finalised work is part of a “simulation-aided qualification strategy” document that feeds into the project’s roadmap for future developments.