Dawn joins the GEORyder consortium – enabling European access to GEO through a reusable OTV

GEORyder Consortium kick-off meeting

Dawn Aerospace (NL) has joined a consortium of eight European companies, led by Infinite Orbits (FR), partnering to offer greater accessibility and affordability to geostationary orbit (GEO) for Europe. 

The project involves creating an orbital transfer vehicle (OTV) which will function as both a reusable kick stage to take satellites from low Earth orbit (LEO) to GEO, and as an on-orbit servicing vehicle equipped with rendezvous and refuelling capabilities, allowing cost-effective in-orbit logistics, life extension and end of life disposal.  

The project is being funded through an 8M euro Horizon Grant from the European Union with 1.2M being awarded to Dawn Aerospace. 

Dawn Aerospace will bring its extensive heritage in green propulsion to the project. 

“Sustainability and reusability are in the DNA of Dawn, so we’re excited to bring both our experience and green ambitions to this worthwhile project,” Jeroen Wink, Dawn Aerospace co-founder and Chief Revenue Officer said. 

Background: 

In-space servicing is a fledgling industry that aims to extend the life of satellites through refuelling, and decrease space debris by removing defunct satellites. Creating a sustainable space economy is an integral part of ESA’s future road map. 

While OTVs have become well-established in LEO in recent years, their uptake in GEO has been slower, due to the typically larger size of geostationary satellites. However, as this technology miniaturises and launch costs come down there is now a stronger case for OTVs with servicing capabilities in GEO. 

Additionally, European sovereign access to GEO has recently been impeded by Russian sanctions and delays in Ariane Group's Ariane 6 rocket coming online. While launch options are available in the United States, SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy to GEO is booked up for the foreseeable future leaving only SpaceX’s Falcon 9 with availability. Using the Falcon 9, requires a kick stage to take satellites from LEO to GEO. 

Geotransfer orbit (GTO) - a kick-stage is required to take satellites launched in LEO to GEO. Photo credit: ESA

Dawn’s involvement in GEORyder 

Dawn Aerospace has been tasked to lead in-space mobility and reusability for the OTV.

Dawn pioneered the use of nitrous-based propulsion in space as a replacement for toxic hydrazine. Dawn’s propulsion systems use nitrous oxide as the oxidiser, a non-toxic, low cost, readily accessible propellant which is compliant with the EU’s REACH regulations. The company has extensive space heritage with 76 thrusters in orbit and a further 200 plus on order.  

This project will see Dawn developing large propulsion systems combining 200N thrusters capable of performing large delta-V GTO to GEO manoeuvres, with Dawn's current portfolio of B1s and B20s for rendezvous and close proximity operations. 

Reusability and scalability are integral parts of the design. Dawn will equip the propulsion system with a refuelling port, and the OTV is being designed for industrial-scale manufacturing using a local European supply chain. 

“We’ve been designing our propulsion systems for scale manufacturing since day one at Dawn, It’s important to us that from the outset, this vehicle is designed so it can match the growth of the market.” said Jeroen Wink.

Dawn is also undertaking analysis on the in-orbit refuelling market in GEO for the project. 

GEORyder Project partners: 

The consortium is made of companies in France, Belgium, Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain & Italy. The project will source and manufacture within Europe and be compatible with European launch vehicles. 

• Infinite Orbits (FR) is the project coordinator leading the mission design, systems engineering, and vehicle
  operations.

• Berlin Space Technologies (BST) - is developing the vehicle structure and industrial plans

• Space Application Services (BE) is developing an adaptation of its Standard Interconnect HOTDOCK to support the applications of storage and refueling of propellant in GEORyder.

• Deimos (SP) is developing the avionics subsystem for the attitude and orbit control including the control module to be used in the rendezvous phase.

• Skylabs (SL) is developing GNC and AOCS processing avionics.

• Politecnico di Milano (IT) will be focusing on the GNC and proximity operations for rendezvous and in-orbit services. 

• Ariane Space (FR) is providing launcher interface support, performing market analysis, and contributing to the service commercialisation assessment.