Inflatable Concept Aeroshell for the Recovery of a re-Usable launcher Stage (a flight demonstration initiative)

The ICARUS initiative targets to fulfil the following call’s objectives:

1) contribution to the maturation up to TRL5-6 of enabling new technologies and subsystems (including common building blocks) in

the field of re-entry solutions for space transportation;

2) maturation up to subsystem and system level technology demonstration with respect to the technologies for recovery of Space

Transport vehicles elements: launcher stages;

In that regard, the project will address the innovative re-entry solution based on Inflatable Heat Shields (IHS), deemed applicable for

recovery of Launch Vehicles stages.

In order to demonstrate applicability of this innovative solution for the purpose above, the project will pursue the following endgoals:

a) complete the maturation on ground of the key technologies enabling the Inflatable Heat shields: Flexible TPS and Inflatable

Structure;

b) carry out a mission/system design loop to realize and fly (in relevant environment) a meaningful-scale demonstrator of an

Inflatable Heat Shield through a flight on board a sounding rocket where the upper part of the rocket will be recovered thanks to the

IHS Demonstrator;

c) execute post-flight analysis and rebuilding for technology performance evaluation, system behaviour identification, and models

verification/cross-correlation;

The project will lean not only on the achievements and know-how obtained in the frame of the father projects EFESTO/EFESTO-2

(respectively funded by H2020 and Horizon Europe first-batch) but also on the partners ‘heritage in the re-entry and flight

demonstration field consolidated through past/recent projects.

The current programmatic picture of the initiative is:

• to lean on a full EU consortium

• to complete the project in a ≈ 4-year plan

• to carry out 1 flight campaign in EU with exploitation of EU assets (test range, sounding rockets, ground segment)