Space technologies: the European Research Council is funding the BRIDGE project with an ERC Proof of Concept grant to enable low-altitude satellite flight
The project, coordinated by Tommaso Andreussi, professor at the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa, aims to demonstrate the feasibility of an innovative space propulsion system powered by the atmosphere and solar energy. "A positive result could be a major step forward in achieving very low-orbit satellite flight, making the use of space more sustainable and accessible to all"
IThe European Research Council is funding the BRIDGE project, coordinated by Tommaso Andreussi, full professor at the Institute of Mechanical Intelligence of the Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna in Pisa, with an ERC Proof of Concept grant. The project aims to demonstrate the feasibility of a new type of space propulsion system capable of flying satellites in very low orbits, below 400 km altitude, by directly exploiting the Earth's atmosphere and solar energy.
“This project will allow us to study a propulsion configuration that has never been tested before. A positive result could be a major step forward in achieving very low-orbit satellite flight, making the use of space more sustainable and accessible to all,” said Tommaso Andreussi.
A new era of low-altitude satellite flight
The idea for BRIDGE came about as an evolution of the results obtained from the ERC BREATHE research project and is based on collaboration between the Space Technologies group at the Institute of Mechanical Intelligence and the spin-off Celeste S.r.l..
The 18-month project will focus on the development of a new type of propulsion system that uses microwaves and an innovative magnetic configuration to facilitate the ionization of the atmosphere, which is extremely rarefied at the altitudes considered. Thanks to the interaction between the plasma thus generated and electrostatic fields, an attempt will be made to generate sufficient thrust to counteract atmospheric drag and keep the satellite in orbit for very long periods.
The design will be accompanied by advanced atmospheric and plasma dynamics simulations, already developed during the BREATHE project. In addition, the experimental campaign will be able to count on the space simulator of the Institute of Mechanical Intelligence, one of the few in Europe designed specifically to test air-breathing plasma thrusters.
The BRIDGE project could pave the way for a new generation of low-cost, low-environmental-impact satellite missions, significantly extending the possibilities for using lower Earth orbits, which are still largely unexplored today.
