Smart Upper Stage for Innovative Exploration

Last updated
Smart Upper Stage for Innovative Exploration
Designer ArianeGroup
Country of origin France
Operator ESA
Specifications
Spacecraft type Reusable spacecraft
Launch mass25t
Payload capacity7t/40m3
Crew capacity5
Dimensions
Length12m
Diameter5m
Production
StatusProposed

The Smart Upper Stage for Innovative Exploration (SUSIE) is a proposal for a reusable spacecraft designed by ArianeGroup. It is capable of manned operations, carrying up to five astronauts to low Earth orbit (LEO), or alternatively functioning as an automated freighter capable of delivering payloads of up to seven tons. It is envisioned to be launched on the Ariane 64 launch vehicle for European Space Agency (ESA) missions. [1]

Contents

History

Work on what would become SUSIE commenced during 2020; in addition to ArianeGroup, various other European aerospace companies, including Airbus, Thales Alenia Space, and D-Orbit, have been early contributors to the project. [2] The existence of SUSIE was revealed during the 2022 International Astronautical Congress in Paris. [3] [4] From an early stage, its development has been actively supported via research funding provided by the ESA's "New European Space Transportation Solutions" (NESTS) initiative; [5] It has also benefitted from other programmes, such as the Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle. [2] Work on SUSIE had been reportedly enacted in response to the recognition of a strategic priority to ensure the ESA possesses autonomous logistics capabilities. [6] [7]

SUSIE is designed to be a fully-reusable spacecraft, both the takeoff and landing phases are to be performed vertically. [8] It has an internal cargo bay volume of 40 cubic meters, which is capable of accommodating up to five astronauts or, in an automated cargo configuration, carry a maximum payload of seven tons. [9] [2] The design of SUSIE is intended to be scalable without necessitated significant aerodynamic changes; [7] this scalability permits it to better perform various mission roles. The payload bay is to be adaptable, such as being convertible into additional habitable volume for the crew to occupy during a longer mission, or to be replaced with propellant tanks and engines that could function comparably to complete upper stage. [2] On longer duration crewed missions, such as beyond Earth orbit, the payload bay can convert into extra habitable volume for the crew to live comfortably. With the addition of a suitable additional space transfer module, SUSIE could reportedly conduct lunar missions. [10] [2] It has also been envisioned that it could participate in the construction of large orbital infrastructure and deorbit end-of-life satellites and other orbital debris. [11]

The takeoff of SUSIE requires an external launch vehicle, which is initially intended to be the Ariane 64 launch vehicle. Later on, SUSIE could be used in conjunction with a future ArianeGroup reusable heavy-lift launcher. [1] [8] When paired with the Ariane 64, the latter's payload fairing is substituted for SUSIE. When fully fuelled, the total mass of the spacecraft is predicted to be 25 tons, which corresponds to the low Earth orbit (LEO) performance of the Ariane 64. [8] [12] [9]

During atmospheric re-entry, SUSIE is intended to perform a propulsive landing (instead of using parachutes); one advantage of this approach is that the mission abort safety system would remain effective at all stages of a crewed mission, not only during the launch phase. [9] [13] Throughout the descent, no greater than three Gs is to be encountered at any point. [2] Instead of using an escape tower, the envisaged emergency crew escape system uses a series of rocket motors at key locations across the exterior of the craft. [7] Several comparisons have been made to other contemporary reusable spaceship programmes, including the SpaceX Starship, SpaceX Dragon 2, and Boeing Starliner, in particular due to the 'bellyflop' style maneuver that SUSIE is envisioned to perform during re-entry. [14] [2] [11]

On 25 October 2023, a 1/6th-scale demonstrator, weighing 100kg and with a height of 2m, was test-fired by ArianeGroup for the first time at their facility in Les Mureaux outside Paris. By this point, ArianeGroup had also reportedly started work on an intermediate version of SUSIE, which would be smaller than the heavy version. [15] So-called 'hop' testing of the demonstrator is scheduled to continue through to mid-2025; early tests are to be focused on guidance and navigation functionality, while later testing shall include rocket-powered controlled descent, drop, and abort sequences. [7]

As of November 2023, the proposed development timeline set out that a smaller commercial cargo version of SUSIE could be potentially ready for 2028, while crewed missions using the full-scale craft would not be expected to occur before the early 2030s. [7] The project has yet to secure both approval and funding from European officials. [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">European Space Agency</span> European organization dedicated to space exploration

The European Space Agency (ESA) is a 22-member intergovernmental body devoted to space exploration. With its headquarters in Paris and a staff of around 2,200 people globally as of 2018, ESA was founded in 1975. Its 2023 annual budget was €7.08 billion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spacecraft</span> Vehicle or machine designed to fly in space

A spacecraft is a vehicle that is designed to fly in outer space and operate there. Spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, Earth observation, meteorology, navigation, space colonization, planetary exploration, and transportation of humans and cargo. All spacecraft except single-stage-to-orbit vehicles cannot get into space on their own, and require a launch vehicle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spaceflight</span> Flight into or through outer space

Spaceflight is an application of astronautics to fly objects, usually spacecraft, into or through outer space, either with or without humans on board. Most spaceflight is uncrewed and conducted mainly with spacecraft such as satellites in orbit around Earth, but also includes space probes for flights beyond Earth orbit. Such spaceflight operate either by telerobotic or autonomous control. The more complex human spaceflight has been pursued soon after the first orbital satellites and has reached the Moon and permanent human presence in space around Earth, particularly with the use of space stations. Human spaceflight programs include the Soyuz, Shenzhou, the past Apollo Moon landing and the Space Shuttle programs. Other current spaceflight are conducted to the International Space Station and to China's Tiangong Space Station.

Human spaceflight programs have been conducted, started, or planned by multiple countries and companies. The age of crewed rocket flight was initiated by Fritz von Opel who piloted the world's first rocket-propelled flight on 30 September 1929. All space flights depend on rocket technology; von Opel was the co-designer and financier of the visionary project. Until the 21st century, human spaceflight programs were sponsored exclusively by governments, through either the military or civilian space agencies. With the launch of the privately funded SpaceShipOne in 2004, a new category of human spaceflight programs – commercial human spaceflight – arrived. By the end of 2022, three countries and one private company (SpaceX) had successfully launched humans to Earth orbit, and two private companies had launched humans on a suborbital trajectory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Automated Transfer Vehicle</span> Uncrewed cargo spacecraft developed by the European Space Agency

The Automated Transfer Vehicle, originally Ariane Transfer Vehicle or ATV, was an expendable cargo spacecraft developed by the European Space Agency (ESA), used for space cargo transport in 2008–2015. The ATV design was launched to orbit five times, exclusively by the Ariane 5 heavy-lift launch vehicle. It effectively was a larger European counterpart to the Russian Progress cargo spacecraft for carrying upmass to a single destination—the International Space Station (ISS)—but with three times the capacity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hermes (spacecraft)</span> French crewed spaceplane concept (1975–1992)

Hermes was a proposed spaceplane designed by the French Centre National d'Études Spatiales (CNES) in 1975, and later by the European Space Agency (ESA). It was superficially similar to the American Boeing X-20 Dyna-Soar and the larger Space Shuttle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reusable launch vehicle</span> Vehicles that can go to space and return

A reusable launch vehicle has parts that can be recovered and reflown, while carrying payloads from the surface to outer space. Rocket stages are the most common launch vehicle parts aimed for reuse. Smaller parts such as rocket engines and boosters can also be reused, though reusable spacecraft may be launched on top of an expendable launch vehicle. Reusable launch vehicles do not need to make these parts for each launch, therefore reducing its launch cost significantly. However, these benefits are diminished by the cost of recovery and refurbishment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spaceplane</span> Spacecraft capable of aerodynamic flight in atmosphere

A spaceplane is a vehicle that can fly and glide like an aircraft in Earth's atmosphere and maneuver like a spacecraft in outer space. To do so, spaceplanes must incorporate features of both aircraft and spacecraft. Orbital spaceplanes tend to be more similar to conventional spacecraft, while sub-orbital spaceplanes tend to be more similar to fixed-wing aircraft. All spaceplanes to date have been rocket-powered for takeoff and climb, but have then landed as unpowered gliders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SpaceX</span> American private spacecraft company

Space Exploration Technologies Corp. commonly referred to as SpaceX, is an American spacecraft manufacturer, launch service provider, defense contractor and satellite communications company headquartered in Hawthorne, California. The company was founded in 2002 by Elon Musk with the goal of reducing space transportation costs and to colonize Mars. The company currently operates the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets along with the Dragon and Starship spacecraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Launch vehicle</span> Rocket used to carry a spacecraft into space

A launch vehicle is typically a rocket-powered vehicle designed to carry a payload from Earth's surface or lower atmosphere to outer space. The most common form is the ballistic missile-shaped multistage rocket, but the term is more general and also encompasses vehicles like the Space Shuttle. Most launch vehicles operate from a launch pad, supported by a launch control center and systems such as vehicle assembly and fueling. Launch vehicles are engineered with advanced aerodynamics and technologies, which contribute to high operating costs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Space tug</span> Spacecraft used to transfer cargo from one orbit to another

A space tug is a type of spacecraft used to transfer spaceborne cargo from one orbit to another orbit with different energy characteristics. The term can include expendable upper stages or spacecraft that are not necessarily a part of their launch vehicle. However, it can also refer to a spacecraft that transports payload already in space to another location in outer space, such as in the Space Transportation System concept. An example would be moving a spacecraft from a low Earth orbit (LEO) to a higher-energy orbit like a geostationary transfer orbit, a lunar transfer, or an escape trajectory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ariane 6</span> European space launch vehicle under development

Ariane 6 is a European expendable launch system under development since the early 2010s by ArianeGroup on behalf of the European Space Agency (ESA). It replaces the Ariane 5, as part of the Ariane launch vehicle family. The stated motivation for Ariane 6 was to halve the cost compared to Ariane 5, and increase the capacity for the number of launches per year.

SpaceX has stated its ambition to facilitate the colonization of Mars via the development of the Starship launch vehicle. The company states that this is necessary for the long-term survival of the human species, though experts like Neil deGrasse Tyson have said this wouldn't be possible unless Mars is terraformed, which is not possible with current or near-future technology.

Super heavy-lift launch vehicle Launch vehicle capable of lifting more than 50 tonnes of payload into low earth orbit

A super heavy-lift launch vehicle is a rocket that can lift to low Earth orbit a "super heavy payload", which is defined as more than 50 metric tons (110,000 lb) by the United States and as more than 100 metric tons (220,000 lb) by Russia. It is the most capable launch vehicle classification by mass to orbit, exceeding that of the heavy-lift launch vehicle classification.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Space Rider</span> Planned ESA uncrewed spaceplane

The Space Rider is a planned uncrewed orbital lifting body spaceplane aiming to provide the European Space Agency (ESA) with affordable and routine access to space. Contracts for construction of the vehicle and ground infrastructure were signed in December 2020. Its maiden flight is currently scheduled for the third quarter of 2025.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Artemis program</span> NASA-led lunar exploration program

The Artemis program is a Moon exploration program that is led by the United States' NASA and was formally established in 2017 via Space Policy Directive 1. The Artemis program is intended to reestablish a human presence on the Moon for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972. The program's stated long-term goal is to establish a permanent base on the Moon to facilitate human missions to Mars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Artemis 4</span> Fourth orbital flight of the Artemis program

Artemis 4 is the fourth planned mission of NASA's Artemis program. The mission will launch four astronauts on a Space Launch System rocket and an Orion to the Lunar Gateway and the second lunar landing of the Artemis program.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Habitation Module</span> Planned lunar habitat module

The International Habitation Module, International Habitat or I-HAB is designed as a habitat module of the Lunar Gateway station, to be built by the European Space Agency (ESA) in collaboration with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA. The I-HAB will have a maximum launch mass of 10,000 kg (22,000 lb) and provide a habitable volume of 10 m3 (350 cu ft).

The Exploration Company is a European spacecraft manufacturer. Based in Munich, Germany and Bordeaux, France, the company develops, manufactures and operates the Nyx space capsule for space agencies and space stations as well as both space and non-space companies in other industries. Although the company's first missions will be cargo missions, Nyx is designed to ultimately also be able to carry humans.

References

  1. 1 2 "This Reusable Space Freighter Would 'Open the Door' to European Space Exploration". Gizmodo. 19 September 2022. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Tjokrosetio, Danny (6 October 2023). "Wake Up, Little Susie". Leonardo Times.
  3. ↑ "Ariane presenta Susie, progetto per uno stadio completamente riutilizzabile - Trasporti-Italia.com". trasporti-italia.com (in Italian). 19 September 2022. Retrieved 19 September 2022.}
  4. ↑ Federation, International Astronautical. "IAF : Meet SUSIE". iafastro.org. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  5. ↑ "ESA defines elements of future European space transportation solutions". European Space Agency. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  6. ↑ "Terrae Novae: Europe's exploration vision". European Space Agency. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Jones, Andrew (21 November 2023). "ArianeGroup begins testing prototype of multirole Susie upper stage". spacenews.com.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "What is ArianeGroup's SUSIE?". newspaceeconomy.ca. 5 November 2023.
  9. 1 2 3 Bagno, Nicolò (19 September 2022). "ArianeGroup annuncia SUSIE, uno stadio riutilizzabile per il trasporto di astronauti e cargo su Ariane 6". AstroSpace (in Italian). Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  10. ↑ "ARIANE NEWS: SUSIE, THE REUSABLE SPACE TRANSPORTER – EUROPEAN STYLE". ArianeGroup. 11 July 2022.
  11. 1 2 Young, Chris (20 September 2022). "Europe's new reusable spacecraft is more like a 'large Crew Dragon' than Starship". interestingengineering.com.
  12. ↑ Sohier, Camille (16 September 2022). "ARIANEGROUP UNVEILS SUSIE AT IAC". ArianeGroup. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  13. ↑ Berger, Eric (2 March 2023). "Rocket Report: Tearing down Ariane's SUSIE concept; is ChatGPT a rocket scientist?". arstechnica.com.
  14. ↑ Pozdnyakov, Anton (19 September 2022). "Is Europe Building its Own Starship? Not Exactly". Universe Today. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  15. ↑ Nouvelle, L'Usine (25 October 2023). "Premier allumage réussi pour le démonstrateur du module réutilisable Susie d'ArianeGroup". L'Usine Nouvelle (in French). Retrieved 26 October 2023.
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