The Project

Why ENLIGHTEN-ED?

ED stands for Engine Demonstration. This means that the technologies developed in the frame of ENLIGHTEN project will be matured and improved, while both processes and subsystems will reach TRL7. The ambitious objective is to demonstrate these technologies by subsystems and engine on-ground demonstration tests within 2026.

Just for recall, ENLIGHTEN (European iNitiative for Low cost, Innovative & Green High Thrust ENgine) is an EC-funded project focused on one big objective: developing new technologies to reduce costs of access to space, while increasing competitiveness of current and future Space Transportation Systems (STS) in Europe. Autonomous access to space is a prerequisite for the strategic autonomy of the EU. It is a key enabler and indispensable element in the space ecosystem and the value chain, without which there is no space policy. Here you can find more info about Enlighten: project-enlighten.eu

Given the small European institutional demand and the barriers to access the international market, it has become now mandatory for European launchers to reduce their costs substantially to stay competitive in the open commercial market on which they depend in order to spread fixed costs.

Future launchers will use green performant propulsion systems for cryogenic engines.

Project’s Objective

ENLIGHTEN-ED confirms and realizes the ambition started with ENLIGHTEN through four objectives:

Implement and validate additive manufacturing demonstrators and solutions for green high thrust engines
Implement and validate Artificial Intelligence control and Machine Learning to increase the effectiveness and performance of Green High Thrust engines
Develop of a new generation of low-cost liquid propulsion sub-systems
Demonstrate all the above solutions in a demo platform test
Complementarity of ESA project: two technologies from FLPP program will be tested with ENLIGHTEN-ED platform: hydrogen turbopump and combustion chamber.

Expected Outcomes

The outcomes of this project will then allow to proceed to an incremental upgrade of the European launcher family to promptly restore the competitiveness of European strategic launchers:

Short term

Quick wins of some technologies matured in the frame of ENLIGHTEN-ED could be applied to the current Vulcain 2 rocket engine

Mid term

Objective would be to enable the replacement of the Vulcain 2 engine by a PROMETHEUS-H engine, leading to a reduction of a factor 5 to 10 of the costs

Long term

Objective will be to provide to all European Launchers with a family of low-cost, green and reusable engines, based on Hydrogen or Methane fuel