Speaker
Description
The Space Rider (SR) programme aims to provide Europe with a reusable system for routine access to low Earth orbit. A critical component of this programme is the Re-entry Module (RM), which consists of a lifting body that, starting from orbital coasting, performs a controlled hypersonic re-entry, transonic flight, and a final precision approach and landing under parafoil. The SR RM is being developed by Thales Alenia Space Italy for the European Space Agency. The re-entry GNC is based on the previous IXV mission, for which Sener Aerospace was responsible. In the Space Rider programme, Sener Aerospace is the design authority for the RM Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC) algorithms and the developer of the new Parafoil GNC (PGNC).
The RM GNC module is currently in the middle of the formal verification process. This process includes three main Model In the Loop (MIL) campaigns and various flight tests. The MIL campaigns are executed on a validated Functional Engineering Simulator (FES) to cover different phases of the RM flight, from initialization to landing, and include failure injection scenarios to cover GNC-FDIR verification.
Further to that, a series of flight tests are planned to characterize the real dynamics of the system and test the PGNC algorithms in flight. These flights are organised in three campaigns with increasing representativity of the final system. They include a Scaled-Down Flight Test (SDFT) campaign using a modified 150-250 kg paramotor, a full-scale Drop Test (DT) campaign with a mock-up system that reproduces the real mass of the system, and a final System Drop Test (SysDT) using the complete flight model.
The SDFT campaign serves as a de-risking activity, allowing for multiple tests at a reduced cost and time. It aims to evaluate the dynamics of the parafoil-payload system, assess the PGNC performance, and test the system’s robustness against external perturbations.
The SDFT vehicle, internally referred to as Starling, is a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) paramotor adapted to reproduce the dynamics of the full-scale system. The vehicle can take off from ground, perform a remotely controlled ascent, and conduct several tests during the descent phase in both manual and autonomous configurations.
This presentation will detail the comprehensive verification and validation process for the Space Rider RM GNC module, highlighting the critical steps taken to verify the Parafoil GNC algorithms and ensure the success of the Space Rider programme.
