Speaker
Description
As opposed to performance, cost, safety, and programmatic metrics, impacts on Earth or on the space environment have not been drivers of space systems and missions designs until recently. This is changing thanks to a shift of mindset, growing risk related to space debris, and a need to anticipate regulations that are likely to be applied to the space industry.
The new Assessment and Comparison Tool (ACT) software is made to create configurations of space systems and rapidly perform their life cycle assessment (LCA) based on user-known data and assumptions. Users can input high-level system values and select the relevant LCA datasets used to compute the environmental impacts of that system. This tool will be used in early design phases or other decision-making processes as support to identify key technology, life cycle steps, or components of future designs in order to adapt them to mitigate related environmental impacts while being aware of potential trade-offs and hotspot shifting.
Early analyses are crucial to help engineers make design choices that can reduce environmental impacts, a process called ecodesign [1]. To perform the assessment, the systems’ production, material sourcing, emissions, operational phase, transport, and other contributions from the product’s entire life cycle are compiled to assess impacts with LCA indicators.
The tool is designed for evolution. It embeds a modular data structure which allows scope extensions and implementations of newer calculation methodologies as the scientific research progresses. Besides the science gaps, technology gaps can be highlighted from the computed impacts and the intention to mitigate part of them using ecodesign processes.
The presentation at the CleanSpace Industry Days 2023 will include a description of the Assessment and Comparison Tool, its functionalities and capabilities, and will detail the ongoing and needed research to fill knowledge gaps in LCA for space systems. Ideas to model reusability, vehicles for new launch architectures, and new missions will be shared regarding environmental impacts. Lastly, future developments of the tool will be discussed following four main focus: LCA and environmental aspects of space systems in ACT, modularity of the code, software backend improvement, and user experience.
[1] ESA Space Safety, Clean Space, “ecodesign”, https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Clean_Space/ecodesign, consulted on 19.07.2023.
