OSIP Ideation Campaigns: THRUST! and BEST! for Future Space Transportation

In alignment with the necessary reusable transportation systems to achieve routine access to space, the European Space Agency (ESA) has launched the THRUST! and BEST! initiatives

Starting with acronyms, THRUST! stands for Technologies for High-thrust Re-Usable Space Transportation whilst BEST! represents Boosters for European Space Transportation. Both are initiatives of the ESA STS Future Launchers Preparatory Programme (FLPP) in support of the overall orbital economy.

In line with the decisions from the ESA Ministerial Council Meeting 2022, THRUST! aims to push forward European launcher liquid propulsion competencies by reaching significant demonstration results on high thrust staged combustion engine technology.

BEST! aims to foster competition for new concepts of future reusable first or booster stages, through parallel concept studies leading towards the preparation of programme files to be presented at the next ESA Council at Ministerial Level, where programme and funding decisions are made. The disruptive technologies which will be embedded in both the THRUST! technology demonstrations and the BEST! system studies will contribute to a growing, competitive and autonomous space transportation ecosystem in Europe.

The THRUST! campaign seeks to receive ideas from potential bidders on concrete demonstration steps towards hot-fire testing and hardware destructive inspection results on critical aspects of high thrust liquid propulsion with staged combustion.

BEST! targets competitive early development phases studies for concepts that shall have the potential to serve as either a Liquid Reusable Booster (LRB) or a Reusable First Stage (RFS). The considered perimeter will encompass both the flight hardware, the needed interfaces and connections for clusters or boosters configurations (fluids and electrics), the associated ground segment (new or adaptations to existing ones) and the intended concept of operations.

After the OSIP call for ideas process, an official ESA Invitation to Tender will be issued, providing the opportunity to obtain ESA-funded contracts for the top-ranked proposals.

Marking the inaugural phase of both campaigns, two calls for ideas have been launched on the ESA’s Open Space Innovation Platform (OSIP).

Applications are open until 01 March, 2024. Here are the links:

The goals of these calls for ideas are to:

• identify emerging space transportation consortia interested in improving and enlarging the offer of access to space in Europe in terms of performance, competitiveness, and environmental footprint, paving the way for future launch systems engines and architectures
• identify Technology Providers in certain technology fields which are key for future reusable European Space Transportation
• identify potential investors interested in future European space transportation capable of high reliable launch cadence and sustainability.

For both THRUST! and BEST!, three categories of ideas can be submitted.

1. Complete system-level proposals, either for clearly defined engine demonstration topics (for THRUST!) or for reusable booster concepts (for BEST!)
2. Specific technology ideas/concepts that could be of use for either staged combustion engines or reusable boosters. Non-exhaustive lists of technologies are provided in the respective THRUST! and BEST! OSIP pages
3. Private investors interested in the ideas

If you are a company in Europe with a staged combustion engine concept (THRUST!) and/or a launch system concept (BEST!) requiring maturation and you fulfil the Conditions of Participation (see the “Special Conditions” of the OSIP calls), this is the opportunity to make your technical and development roadmaps robust and consolidate the competitiveness of your product, and we encourage you to explore these opportunities.

If you are an investor wishing to participate in future exchanges, you are also welcome to express your interest, opening the way to possible involvement in the next steps of the tendering process.

The upcoming phase of both the THRUST! and BEST! campaigns will include a joint online Pitch Day, organized by ESA, where the potential bidders can present either their staged combustion engines or booster/stage concepts, their technology roadmaps and needs, as well as their intended industrial team. Promising technology providers will also be invited to present their technology concept and understand if there is an interest from potential system-level companies.

In a next step, the following invitations to tender will be issued:

• the THRUST! Invitation to Tender for fully packaged proposals from companies or consortia in charge of the complete engine target
• the BEST! Invitation To Tender for Concept Study of Reusable first stages or liquid reusable boosters

Looking forward to hearing your ideas, and welcome to the world of THRUST! and BEST!.