The future is electric

24/6/2020 2

Innovation 2 Go Webinar

Manuel La Rosa BetancourtCo-Founder & CEO

Marcus Collier-WrightCo-Founder & CTO

SUPREME: NEXT GENERATION OF PLASMA THRUSTERS FOR SPACE MISSIONS

25th June 2020

24/6/2020 Neutron Star Systems 3

Company Background

Applied-Field Magnetoplasmadynamic Thrusters

High Temperature Superconductors

SUPREME Technology

Vison and Business Case

Roadmap and Traction

OUTLINE


WHO WE ARE

THE FUTURE IS ELECTRIC

• Disruptive Electric Propulsion

• High Temperature Superconductors

• High Power Space Missions

BusinessInnovationHeritage

Leadership in High-power

Electric Propulsion

24/6/2020 Neutron star systems 5

Background


TEAM

MANUEL

CEO

MARCUS

CTO

RYAN

Communications, HR & Marketing

ORLANDO

IT Services & PMO

DAVID

Head Of Engineering

EUDYS

Administrative Support

GEORG

MPD Technology Expert

NANTWIN

Systems Engineer


Total spacecraft

mass:

6 tonnes

CHEMICAL PROPULSION

Payload:

3 tonnes

Propellant:

3 tonnes

ELECTRIC PROPULSION

Payload:

5 tonnes

Propellant:

1 tonne

Chemical vs electric propulsion

24/6/2020 8Neutron Star Systems

[7]

Comparison of Propulsion technologies

CHEMICAL

Propellant is combusted and accelerated to

produce thrust.

Simple Operation

Propellant Flexibility

Flight Heritage

Low Specific Impulse

Complicated Propellant Control

ELECTROSTATIC

Propellant gas is ionized, ions are accelerated to

produce thrust.

High Specific Impulse

High Thrust Efficiency

Flight Heritage

Complicated Operation

Reliance on Xenon

Poor Scalability

ELECTROMAGNETIC

Propellant gas is ionized, plasma is accelerated to

produce thrust.

High Specific Impulse

Throttleable

Propellant Flexibility

Limited by conventional technologies

Little Flight Heritage

mc

ma

ID

VD

_

+ ANODE

INSULATOR


IC

Applied Field magnetoplasmadynamic Thruster

CATHODE

Bθ

jr

jr x Bθ

Bz

jθ

jθ x Bz

Bzjrjr x Bz


60 years of MPD heritage

NASA/McDonnell Superconducting MPD

1972

11

Source: IEPC 2017-339

100kW AF-MPD prototype: sx3 Thruster (iRS Stuttgart)

Mass of only 13kg!

24/6/2020 Neutron Star Systems

… But the electromagnet weighs 150kg and consumes 285kW

Typical Operating Conditions

Magnetic Field: 100 mT 400 mT

Power: 75 kW 100 kW

Current: 750 A 440 A

Voltage: 100 V 230 V

Mass Flow Rate: 90 mg/s 60 mg/s

Thrust: 2.1 N 2.75 N

ISP: 2400 s 4665 s

Efficiency: 33% 62%

12

• Steady Operation

• Efficiency up to 62%

• Thrust up to 3,6 N

Normal Mode

High Voltage Mode

SX3 thruster – impact of magnetic field strength

24/6/2020 Neutron Star Systems 12Source: IEPC 2017-339


High temperature Superconductors (HTS)TYPE 2G HTS

[n] Thomas Frey, M. Kleber, H. Kinder, R. Gross Oxidation behavior of RE123 superconductors with time and place resolution. Published on August 2004 at the Technical University of Munich submitted and accepted by the Faculty of Physics on January 2005

Liquid N2

(pressure)

(pressure)

(pressure)

Hg-Ba-Ca-Cu-O

TI-Ba-Ca-Cu-O

Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O

Y-Ba-Cu-O

La-Sr-Cu-O

La-Ba-Cu-OLiquid H2

Hg

V3Sj

Pb Nb

Nb-Al-Ge

NbCNbN

Nb3Ge

Nb3Sn


HTS ProductionTAPE ARCHITECTURE

© Copyright THEVA Dünnschichttechnik GmbH

Vacuumchamber

Physical vapor depositionWith electron beam evaporation

Roll-onwith in-line

quality control

Modular

Continuousvacuum

Tape locking

Pay-off(back side)

Proof of production: high quality tape

Implementation of industrial standards

Robust process allowing high yield

Cost efficient production


HTS – space applications

[n] Denis J. Connolly, Robert R. Romanofsky, Paul Aron and Mark Stan, OPPORTUNITIES FOR SUPERCONDUCTIVITY IN FUTURE SPACE EXPLORATION PROGRAMS: (A HYDROGEN ECONOMY FOR THE 21ST CENTURY) NASA, Lewis Research Center Cleveland, Ohio 44135

CR

ITIC

AL

CU

RR

EN

T D

EN

SIT

Y(A

/cm

2)

MAGNETIC FIELD (T)

YBaCuO Thin Film

ElectromagneticShielding

BiSrCaCuO Tape

Rocket Engine Bearings

MRI Magnets

SMES

SSC MagnetsBismuth Wire

Motor Generators

Small PayloadElectromagneticLaunch

ThaliumLong Wire(50K)

CryocoolerCurrent Leads DC Space

PowerTransmissionLines

0 10-3 10-2 10-1 1 10 102

107

106

105

104

103

102

10

1

Magnet Mass:4x Reduction

Magnet Power Consumption:

300x Reduction

Magnetic Field Strength:

4x Increase

DISCHARGE UNIT


Supreme technologyPROPELLANT SUPPLY

POWER PROCESSING UNIT

THERMAL MANAGEMENT

APPLIED-FIELD MODULE

DISCHARGE UNIT


Supreme technologyPROPELLANT SUPPLY

POWER PROCESSING UNIT

THERMAL MANAGEMENT

APPLIED-FIELD MODULE

Technical Parameters:

Power: 750W – 1MW

Isp: 2000-8000s

Thrust Efficiency: 50-75%

Thrust Density: 10-70 mN/kW


Subsystem requirements

Anode

Sputtering Resistance

Electrical Conductivity

Low Work Function

High Temperature Resistance

Thermal Management

AerogelsHigh Temperature

Resistance

Insulate HTS coils (~50K) from plasma discharge (~2000K)

Critical Temperature of 50K

HTS Coil

Quench Protection

Flux Pump1.5 T Magnetic Field Strength

Current Leads

MLI

Cryogenic System

Reverse Turbo-Brayton Cycle

40W Heat Removal at 50K

Power Draw <800W Low

Vibrations


SUPREME PERFORMANCE

GRIDDED ION THRUSTERS

SUPREME

HALL EFFECT THRUSTERS

HIGHER ISP

LOWER ISP

HIGHER THRUSTLOWER THRUST

AEROJET ROCKETDYNE USA 0.5 – 200 kW

BUSEK USA 0.1 – 20 kW

FAKEL RUSSIA 0.3 – 25 kW

SAFRAN GROUP FRANCE 0.5 – 20 kW

SITAEL ITALY 0.5 – 20 kW


GRIDDED ION THRUSTERS

VASIMR

HALL EFFECT THRUSTERS

SUPREME

AEROJET ROCKETDYNE USA 0.5-7.5 kW

L3HARRIS USA 0.45-4.5kW

ARIANE GROUP GERMANY 0.5-8.5 kW

QINETIQ UK 0.5-7.5 kW

NEUTRON STAR SYSTEMS GERMANY 1 – 1000 kWAD ASTRA ROCKET USA 50 – 200 kW

Competing companies

SCALABILITY

PROPELLANT FLEXIBILITY

24/6/2020 21

THROTTLEABILITY

SIMPLE AND ROBUST

HERITAGE

Competitive advantages

SUPREME

HET

GIT

100%

50%

AF-MPD

HET - EU

HET - LowTRL

70%

30%

SF-MPDs

HET – Int.

Mission Scenarios Requirements

Ar, Kr

NH3, CH4

H2

Station Keeping

Orbit Raising

Deep Space Missions

0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000 9000 10000

Specific Impulse in s

640

320

160

80

40

20

10

Th

rus

t p

er

Po

we

r in

mN

/kW

ArKrNH3

CH4

H2

ArgonKryptonAmmoniaMethaneHydrogen

SUPREME OPERATING RANGE

GIT


Small satellites & Constellations

Orbit Raising

Our Vision

Debris Removal & Decommissioning

Refuelling

Satellite Maintenance

GEO Satellite Platforms


Lunar Gateway Logistics

Lunar Servicing

Lunar Cargo

Mars Cargo

Mars Gateway

Science Exploration Missions

Asteroid Mining

Crewed Mars

Missions

Our Vision

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

2019 2021 2023 2025 2027 2029 2031 2033 2035 2037 2039

Potential Annual Revenues - Neutron Star Systems (€ millions)

Small Satellites GEO Satellites Science Missions Satellite Servicing

Lunar Gateway Logistics Lunar Cargo (10t+) Lunar Cargo XL (30t+) Asteroid Mining

Mars Cargo (50t+) Mars Cargo XL (100t+) Mars Crewed

opportunity

10 20 30 90 320

Value capturing

Va

lue

cre

ati

on

High

Low

Potential mission cost savings when using

SUPREME

Moon Cargo160 – 600 kW

€90 Million

Mars Cargo100 – 1000 kW

€320 Million

€ MILLION

Business case


DLR Jupiter Moons60 kW

€20 Million

GEO Communications

Satellite15 – 35 kW

€10 Million

€30 Million

Smallsat Constellation1 kW


Business model

Develop SUPREME

Technology and Secure IPR

Cyber-Physical Platform

Ne

ar-

Ea

rth

Ap

pli

ca

tio

ns

1k

W –

50

kW

Ma

rs a

nd

De

ep

Sp

ac

e1

00

kW

–2

50

0 k

W

Lunar Missions50kW – 600kW

Su

pe

rco

nd

uc

tor-

Ba

se

d E

P

Su

bs

ys

tem

s

Su

pe

rco

nd

uc

tor-

Ba

se

d

Sp

ac

ec

raft

Su

bs

ys

tem

s

IPR Licensing


1 kW Class* Uses permanent magnets

* Smallsats and Constellations

* Hybrid propulsion systems

5 kW Class* Proof of concept demonstrator

* Industry Standard

* GEO Satellite platforms

20 kW Class* Extended GEO satellites

* Advanced science missions

* Satellite Servicing

Initial Product line


Company Structure

NSS UK Ltd.

Centre of competence for Superconducting Coils, Cryogenics, and Power

Electronics

NSS Germany

Company HQ

Centre of competence for Discharge Unit, Thermal

Management and Propellant Control

Subsystem assembly and integration

Thruster testing & verification

NSS Luxembourg

Centre of competence for plasma simulation

1965 2019 2020 2025 2030 2035

TRL 1-4 TRL 7 -8 TRL 8-9

Large heritage in developing MPD thruster

technology

Large heritage in developing HTS tapes and

coils

ACCELERATOR PROGRAM

Engineering Model

Business plan and feasibility assessment

COMMERCIALISATION

Industrial upscaling and market preparation

Next-Generation GEO Satellites

Satellite Servicing

Lunar & Mars cargo

Large heritage in developing high-current

hollow cathodes

TRL 4-6

2023

In-Orbit Demo (5kW)

2040

Mars crewed


SUPREME Technology Roadmap

Smallsats & Constellations


Traction -ACTIVITIES

WINNERAudience Choice Award

Austin, Texas, USA

Top 50 ESA Startups 2020

RUNNER-UPStart-Up Space Competition

Washington D.C., USA

Top 3 – FINALISTOHB Challenge, Innospace Masters

FINALISTAutumn 2020Luxembourg

Horizon 2020 FET-OPEN

MEESST Project

€3.4 million


Traction - PARTNERS

“The 20kW SUPREME model would be very suitable for use as a primary thruster on a 35kW-class GEO Satellite.”

“SUPREME can take advantage of PPU technology transfer from existing systems.”

“ESA has previously funded MPD technology through grants and programs. We are happy to support any activity on MPDs.”

“If MPD’s are achieving efficiencies over 50%, then this completely changes the question for high power space propulsion.”

“This technology can offer a unique and competitive proposition for hybrid electric/chemical propulsion systems.”

“We are especially interested in the potential of SUPREME technology for its application in high power electric propulsion systems”

Marcus Collier-WrightCo-Founder & CTO

[email protected]+44 777 0 742 417

Manuel La Rosa BetancourtCo-Founder & CEO

[email protected]+49 171 5231978


Artificial intelligence

Accelerated Development

& Qualification

Thruster Power Classes

Materials

Manufacturing Processes

Plasma Simulation Tools

Adaptive Code Logic

Numerical Codes

Smart Operations

Orbit Situational Response

Thruster Parameter Control

Institut für Raumfahrtsysteme

24/06/2020 36

AF-MPD Test Stand: Tank 8

Thrust Balance (Thrust Measurement):

▪ Parallelogram Balance

▪ Force Sensor and Calibration Unit

▪ Thermocouples (Thruster)

▪ Thermometer (Balance, Coil)Vacuum Tank 8:

▪ Pressure Measurements

▪ Cold Water and Power Supply

Non-intrusive Diagnostics:

▪ Pyrometer

▪ Fabry-Pérot Interferometer

▪ Spectrometer

Teststand for AF-MPD Thrusters: Thrust Balance:

Copyright: Institute of Space Systems, University of Stuttgart

The future is electric - NMWP

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