The Iperdrone.0 payload of the U.S. military aircraft took off from the Vandenberg base in California.Italian Space Agency (ASI)which took off aboard the American mission Transporter-11.
Developed thanks to a group of companies consisting of DEFER, Tyvak International e Kayser Italiacoordinated by ASI, Iperdrone.0 represents the first mission of the Iperdrone program which aims to design and build a vehicle capable of performing complex in-orbit servicing and safely returning to Earth, to allow the recovery of the on-board payload. The orbital path of Iperdrone.0, launched by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launcher, was also followed by the Italian space center “Luigi Broglio” in Malindi, Kenya.
“The successful launch of the Iperdrone.0 mission represents a further milestone in the ASI strategic roadmap which aims to consolidate the development of vehicles and missions capable of carrying out complex operations in orbit”, declared Teodoro Valente, President of the Italian Space Agency. «In this demonstration mission, the all-Italian space drone has the role of a special deliveryman, carrying study payloads into orbit. It is a true precursor destined to test the technologies that will pave the way for space transport systems that will be able to carry out operations in orbit and subsequently re-enter the atmosphere. With this, Italy reaffirms its presence at the forefront of the commitment to consolidating autonomous European access to space. Thanks to the fruitful collaboration with companies and the coordination of the Agency, Italy demonstrates that it is a country at the forefront in the field of in-orbit servicing activities, both for the national production chain and in the development of highly innovative technologies. The final objective is to position the country system in a leading role at an international level in what represents the new frontier of space services and to prepare, in the medium and long term, the orbital services of the future».
«The Iperdrone project represents a success for the Italian aerospace industry, also in terms of the capacity of the technological and production chain” comments Antonio Blandini President of CIRA. “Thanks to ASI and the collaboration with excellent technological partners such as Tyvak and Kayser, we are working on the development of a cutting-edge in-orbit operations and space reentry system. This project, and the activities that will certainly continue for its implementation and implementation, will open new perspectives for the future of space exploration: Iperdrone will significantly contribute to the progress of space reentry technologies and to the growth of our space economy, also in terms of international positioning. We will continue to work intensely on the future of the project, to consolidate and expand our technological capabilities, and thus shorten the distances between Space and Earth”.
Iperdrone.0 will conduct operations around a virtual point, acquiring images that demonstrate the ability to inspect a reference target and the possibility of performing a preparatory maneuver for re-entry.
Among the technological challenges of the mission is also the innovative cold gas propulsion system, called PERSEUS, designed and built specifically for this mission. The in-flight demonstration of an ‘ecological’ propulsion system will be fundamental, not only for the Iperdrone.0 mission but also for the future and numerous Cubesat missions such as in the ASI ALCOR program, dedicated to the development of small satellites, and in national projects in ESA such as Space Rider Observer Cube (SROC).
The Cubesat Iperdrone.0 is also at the forefront in terms of safety, having implemented the most stringent safety standards already in the design phase, thanks to the contribution of Kayser Italia, to allow maneuvers in proximity to the International Space Station.
The next mission, Iperdrone.1, will test in flight innovative guidance, navigation and control strategies, as well as new thermal protection systems designed to shield the Cubesat from the extreme temperatures encountered during atmospheric reentry.