Electrical COmpetitive PROPUlsion

Faced with the increasing demands of satellite contractors in terms of costs and mission capabilities, the EU’s space sector must be ready to react as quickly as possible to the needs related to the evolution of space infrastructures and markets to stand out from the competition at global level.

Electric Propulsion (EP), based on Hall-Effect Thruster (HET), is strategic to foster the EU’s space sector competitiveness.

Europe needs competitive EP Systems or EPS (combination of a Power Processing Unit (PPU) driving and delivering electrical power to a HET). The PPU has a strong impact on the EPS cost and performances. Completed in 2021, the H2020 GaNOMIC project demonstrated the feasibility of major disruptive technologies for the PPU.

A PPU based on these technologies will open the way to extend drastically the mission field capability and efficiency of EPS, pushing propulsion systems to an unprecedented level of competitiveness, capability, and efficiency.

To achieve these impacts, ECOPROPU, takes over from GaNOMIC and will develop five key generic Building Blocks for the PPU which are crucial to unlock the target performances of the EPS: three functions of the PPU (Anode module, Digital processing module, Magnet power converter) and two other Building Blocks on which the Anode module rely (DAB digital controller and Planar transformer).

ECOPROPU will also prepare and evaluate the HET adaptation to high voltage operation brought by this innovative PPU by better understanding stability and magnet-related phenomena and a complete operation mapping of a large domain thruster (2-7kW, 250-700V operating domain).

The impact of this project will be to give the consortium industry the capacity by 2025 to develop disruptive and economic PPU and versatile EPS (medium to high power class), allowing to reach a European worldwide leadership in EPS and offer to European space primes and agencies improved performances and cost reduction for their space missions.