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In-Space Transportation Club Session #2: Docking Interfaces

Shape the Future of In-Orbit Transportation: Join the ESA In-Space Transportation Club for Session #2 on 11 June 2024 from 14:00-16:30 CEST). This virtual session will focus on steering the development of critical in-orbit rendezvous and docking technologies. 

Registrations for the event are closed.

Overview 

Session #2: Docking 

This session marks the conclusion of the InSPoC-1 Definition Phase on in-orbit rendezvous and docking. Leading industry primes and consortia will present their project outcomes, with a particular emphasis on docking interface solutions.  

Participants will have the opportunity to participate in active sessions to provide feedback and share their needs and expectations, which will play a crucial role in steering the development of the subsequent InSPoC-1 implementation phase. 

Agenda

ESA’s In-Space Transportation Club – Session #2
Introduction, InSPoC vision and session objectives 10 min
InSPoC-1 overview: Developing and demonstrating standardised interfaces to enable the in-space transportation ecosystem 20 min
Focus #0: In-space transportation ecosystem and use-cases 10 min
Focus #1: ConOps, guidelines for safe rendezvous & GNC-related interfaces 20 min
Break  5 min
Focus #2: Grappling, docking and System Interconnect interfaces 40 min
Focus #3: Inter-vehicular communication layers, protocols, and exchanges 15 min
(ESA) Synthesis & way-forward 10 min
Q&A 20 min

The In-Space Transportation Club: A SpaceTech Community 

ESA’s future space transportation ecosystem programme (FLPP) envisions a future orbital market with an ecosystem of actors providing unbundled added-value services in orbit. The In-Space Transportation Club, a key initiative of the FLPP’s In-Space Proof-of-Concepts (InSPoC) venture, is uniting the European SpaceTech community to shape this future. 

The In-Space Transportation Club is a unique professional network that empowers the European SpaceTech community to shape the future of European space transportation. By fostering connections among space transportation stakeholders, the Club facilitates the collaborative development of essential technologies for the future ecosystem.  

Within the Club’s dynamic environment, members directly communicate their requirements for in-space transportation capabilities, playing a crucial role in guiding the creation and standardisation of the future in-orbit space transportation ecosystem. 

About

In-Space Proof-of-Concepts, or InSPoC, is a venture within ESA’s future space transportation ecosystem programme, FLPP. Through a series of open competitions, InSPoC will de-risk space transportation capabilities and foster standardised interfaces using incremental in-orbit demonstrations.    

ESA is enabling the future: an ecosystem with a scalable, modular in-space transportation fleet based on optimised reusable launchers. In such an ecosystem, reusable space-tugs will dock to their payloads in parking orbits, deliver them to their orbital destination, and refuel with orbital propellant depots, allowing them to pursue their missions and providing in-orbit servicing for space transportation. 

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