Today, the world is experiencing a time when the space race is back on the agenda. The European space industry is at a crucial moment, where competitiveness and autonomy are key to keeping pace with other global powers such as the United States and China . Since 2015, several studies have emphasized the need to reduce the costs of space launches in order to reach the year 2030 with more affordable missions. But it's not just about costs, it's also essential to increase the flexibility of launch services and reduce environmental impact.
The European space industry, aware of the challenges in competitiveness and sustainability, has launched several initiatives to stay at the forefront, reduce costs and minimize the environmental impact of its launches . Among these initiatives, the SALTO project stands out, an ambitious proposal that seeks to revolutionize European space launches through technological innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Funding from the European Commission's Horizon Europe program was the key opportunity to take this project forward, aimed at reducing operating costs and the environmental footprint of space launches . This is how the SALTO consortium was born, led by ArianeGroup and made up of 25 companies (plus one associate), including the company GTD Sistemas de Informacion that collaborates with the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) to carry out this industrial doctorate . At the same time, the project aims to propel the European space industry towards a greener and more competitive future.
The goal of the consortium is to mature technologies for the reuse of launchers , the rockets used to carry payloads, such as a manned spacecraft or satellites, from the surface of the Earth to outer space. This is a milestone that has so far only been achieved and consolidated by Elon Musk's American company, SpaceX, with its Falcon 9 . In this context, the GTD company develops an innovative completely autonomous launcher destruction system . Destroying or neutralizing launchers involves detonating or stopping the engines of a launcher and bringing it down to prevent it from becoming a safety hazard to the people and property it flies over. It is important to emphasize that this destruction or shutdown of the engines is carried out in safe zones previously defined by the competent authorities in flight safety, when the trajectory or subsystems of the launcher violate the established safety limits.
It is within the framework of this project that the strategic research of industrial doctoral student Alejandro Sabán is framed, who started his industrial doctoral project motivated to continue his studies after his master's degree. Sabán's fascination with space did not start from childhood, but developed through his studies in aeronautical engineering, and inspired by Formula 1 and the aerodynamics of racing cars . Participation in the industrial doctorate project represents a deeply significant experience both personally and professionally for the doctoral student: " through this experience, I am able to contribute my bit to advance the industrial landscape current ".
Aligned with the company's goals , Sabán's research focuses on improving the safety and efficiency of space launches . As the doctoral student himself explains: “ imagine you are watching a space launch, and your purpose is to make sure that everything unfolds safely both for the launcher and for the people and material goods it flies over, since it is at the launch base until it reaches space ”. Currently, launch monitoring involves data collection using remote sensing antennas and radars, with operators making real-time decisions from the launch base. A process with disadvantages such as latency in decision-making, high operating costs due to the need for globally distributed infrastructures, and specialized operator training.
The most remarkable innovation of the PhD student's research is the development of an autonomous launcher destruction system for the European space area . In other words, a system that can make decisions automatically, according to the industrial PhD student: “ designed to replace the supervisory and decision-making operations that currently depend on flight safety operators located in spaceports ”.
On the other hand, the industrial doctorate wants to contribute to environmental sustainability, with the suppression of globally distributed infrastructures for the supervision of the launch , thus eliminating the need for the travel of operators for maintenance tasks of the terrestrial flight supervision systems. In this way, together with the rest of the technologies proposed by the SALTO project consortium to reduce the carbon footprint and encourage the reuse of launchers, Europe could lead the way towards more sustainable space missions . Finally, as Sabán himself concludes " the final objective of this research is to provide the European space industry with an advanced and efficient technological tool that consolidates its capacity for innovation and increases its competitiveness in the global arena ". In this sense, the technological demonstrator currently developing the industrial PhD project becomes a significant contribution to the evolution and progress of the European space sector.
A very interesting aspect of Sabán's project is the event that will allow validating the effectiveness of the system in a real environment , opening up new possibilities for exploration and innovation with artificial intelligence algorithms. The project will have the opportunity to test its system during a flight campaign scheduled for 2025 at the Kiruna spaceport in Sweden. This campaign is intended to test the THEMIS stage and the Prometheus engine, a project developed by ArianeGroup in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA), where its main objective is to test and validate the components and technologies necessary to to the reuse of launchers.
The most significant impact of the PhD student's project on society is the reduction of the operational costs of space launches, which could transform access to space for new actors. This democratization can generate new applications and services that directly benefit society . For example, satellite constellations such as Starlink and OneWeb seek to provide connectivity to regions where wiring is complicated and expensive. Reducing the operational costs of launches could facilitate the creation of similar solutions, offering new opportunities and improvements in everyday life.
According to Eduard Diez i Lledó, the project manager of the GTD company, the completion of the project will have a significant impact on attracting talent and training in the fields of aerospace engineering and aeronautics in Catalonia and Europe. In the words of Diez: " in the case of going from prototype to operational system, the project will require engineers trained or specialized in domains that are currently state of the art ".
From an academic point of view, the co-director of the project Dr. Manel Soria Guerrero, emphasizes that aerospace technology is a sector with great potential to create added value: " the Polytechnic University of Catalonia has made a sustained effort to provide competitive qualifications in this area ". Dr. Miquel Sureda Anfres, also co-director of the project, complements this vision, stating that this industrial doctorate is an excellent opportunity to produce relevant knowledge in European launcher technology. In addition, the project generates important synergies with GTD, a key company in the aerospace sector, strengthening the collaboration between the university and industry.
As for the tangible benefits of projects like the one at hand, Dr. Soria explains that the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya ensures the translation of results into tangible benefits through a virtuous circle: basic research feeds applied research, which is transferred to students and, subsequently, to value-added companies . The current project, developed in contact with the company from the beginning and aligned with the European strategy to reduce the launch cost, is a good example of how to close this circle. However, academics are of the opinion that it is necessary to complement these projects with more basic research, without immediate industrial interest.
Sabán's conclusion is that collaborative research has been essential for the industrial PhD project. Collaborating with the different companies of the SALTO consortium, knowledge and technologies have been shared to improve the quality of research. Also, participation in congresses and seminars has made it possible to validate ideas and incorporate the best practices in the sector. In the words of the PhD student: " collaborative research provides me with an essential basis for the development of my project, connecting me with experts in different areas, facilitating the transfer of knowledge and contributing to innovation and progress in the field of space technology ".
Once the project is finished, the PhD student plans to continue his professional career in the space sector, maintaining his relationship with the GTD company. For this reason, Sabán emphasizes the importance of continuing to exploit the results of the project: " this continuity reflects my ambition to contribute significantly to the growth and progress of the space sector through a company with great relevance in the sector and, with which I can grow professionally ".
In conclusion, this industrial PhD not only represents a significant technological advance for the SALTO project and the European space industry in general, but also exemplifies how collaborative research and innovation can drive sustainability and efficiency in this sector which is at a great moment in its history. Sabán's career is a testament to how academic and professional efforts can converge to generate innovative and sustainable solutions. In short, a project that can redefine access to space, offering a greener and more accessible vision for the future of space exploration.
