Propulsion

OHB-System develops, integrates, tests and operates drive systems for a variety of different satellite projects. These include monopropellant and biopropellant systems as well as electrical and cold-gas configurations.

Development work comprises the following activities:

  • Configuration of the systems with respect to fuels, compressed gas, operating pressure, loss of pressure, thermal requirements and integration in the satellites
  • Selection of components (tanks, drives, valves, piping systems, filters, thermal protection, heaters etc.)
  • Configuration of the interfaces with the satellite structure, thermal system, electronics and software
  • Planning of sourcing, integration, testing and operations

These activities are closely related to the requirements of the specific project with respect to orbital maneuvers and pitch control as well as the satellite structure.

Further development activities in this area entail mission analysis and orbital maneuver planning, as successfully demonstrated in the SAR-Lupe satellite ground segment for orbit and constellation maintenance.

OHB primarily sees itself as a systems provider and integrator and therefore largely uses prefabricated and proven components for drive systems. Piping systems and all other individual components are sourced externally. Integration and testing of the drive systems are either performed internally or contracted out.

Technology developments completed in the past include the configuration, integration, testing and operation of the (monopropellant) drive system including thermal control for the SAR-Lupe satellite system.

At the moment, OHB-System is

  • successfully operating the drive systems of the SAR-Lupe satellites for BWB for the duration of the ten-year operation phase,
  • developing and sourcing the drive (chemical monoprop) system for the EnMap research satellite on behalf of DLR,
  • developing, building and verifying the chemical biprop system, the electrical drive system and the cold gas system for the SGEO telecommunications satellite on behalf of Hispasat,
  • designing the drive system for the Galileo navigation satellite (offer for Phase C/D).

Further recent activities include the configuration and analyses of drive systems for ESA projects and proposals such as MTG (chemical biprop system), Exomars (chemical biprop system), Next Lunar Lander (chemical biprop system) and Marco Polo (chemical biprop system) as well as for DLR projects such as DEOS (monoprop systems).