Tenders Are Invited For Gnc Technologies For Precise Landing Of Launcher Stage And Booster

Tenders are invited for GNC Technologies for Precise Landing of Launcher Stage and Booster - Expro plus Objective: To develop the GNC architecture and algorithms required to enable precise landing of launcher stages / booster with highthrust-to-weight ratio via accurate hover-slam maneuvering.Description: Recent developments in reusable launch systems have demonstrated the operational and economic advantages of recovering and reusing first-stage boosters and upper stages. However, the current state-of-the-art is limited to a small number of operators, and many of the underlying technologies, including GNC for precision propulsive landing of high thrust-to-weight ratio vehicles, remain at low TRL, in particular in Europe. Achieving pinpoint landing ischallenging due to restrictive throttling constraints and to tight dynamical couplings where there is no room for error: the required Thrust Vector Control (TVC) deflections are large and so is the drift they induce, the controllability offered by fins is limiteddue to the low velocities, and the vehicle is operating under uncertain conditions stemming from interactions such as plume impingement and ground effect. This activity will tackle these challenges by advancing GNC technologies for propulsive stages descent, trajectory shaping, terminal landing maneuvers and autonomous control. The following key enabling GNC functions will be developed as part of the study: - Descent Guidance Algorithms - Navigation filters based on multiple sensors fusion (e.g. altimeters, multiple IMUs,multiple GNSS antennas and receivers, strain gauges) - Control strategies and multiple-actuation architectures (TVC, fins, thrusters) - Autonomy functions (real-time decision-making, contingency handling, failure detection) The aims at investigating candidate GNCarchitectures and algorithms suitable for landing scenarios, considering as a minimum boosters and upper stages landing. This is critical to enable cost-effective and robust European solutions for reusable launchers in future missions. This activity encompassesthe following tasks: - Identify representative mission scenarios for vertical propulsive landing (hover-slam manoeuvre) - Define mission and system-level requirements for each scenario and vehicle - Develop modular GNC architectures - Model environmental dynamics (gravity, aerodynamics, wind) and vehicle dynamics (multi-body kinematics, flexible structures, sloshing) - Integrate GNC algorithms in a high-fidelity 6-DOF simulation framework - Perform trade studies on actuators and sensors, including sensitivity and robustness analysis - Validation and verification campaign of the selected GNC architectures and algorithms, including an evaluation of performance - Study synthesis and recommendations for a technology roadmap to increase TRL Read less Tender Link : https://esastar-publication-ext.sso.esa.int/ESATenderActions/filter/open