The Horizon 2020 European funded DEMOCRITOS project concluded its work 6th April 2017 with some key outcomes reported in a workshop at the Delegation of the European Union to the Russian Federation in Moscow.

A consortium of European space research interests, DEMOCRITOS is aimed at investigating the demonstration and future prototyping activities required to bring forward technologies for high power space transportation using nuclear electric propulsion (NEP).

"If a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, how does a journey around the solar system start?"

The Horizon 2020 European funded DEMOCRITOS project concluded its work with some key outcomes reported in a workshop at the Delegation of the European Union to the Russian Federation in Moscow..

A consortium of European space research interests, DEMOCRITOS is aimed at investigating the demonstration and future prototyping activities required to bring forward technologies for high power space transportation using nuclear electric propulsion (NEP).

The Moscow workshop saw experts from Europe, Russia, Japan and Brazil exchange information, findings and presentations around the future of solar system exploration including the steps necessary to enable high power, high payload mass space transportation technologies for an international 'High Power Space Transportation Program' - calling the APOLLO or ISS of the 2020th and beyond. These envisage:

+ Large scale deep space exploration missions (e.g. Jupiter moon Europa, Mars, Moon and asteroids and beyond).

+ Reducing the radiation load of astronauts and fast tracking human Mars missions.

+ Building an Earth-Moon or Earth-Mars space tug system.

+ Establishment of human habitats on Moon or Mars.

+ Deflection of dangerous Near-Earth objects like asteroids.

The next decades will bring new challenges for robotic and human exploration of our solar system. Experts believe that the development of high-power electric propulsion systems, using nuclear power sources, can significantly contribute to the implementation of deep space missions.

The DEMOCRITOS project (www.h2020-democritos.eu) was a collaboration of European and Russian teams in the field of Nuclear Electric Propulsion. The consortium members were the European Science Foundation (ESF), the French Space Agency CNES (France), the Nuclear National Laboratory (NNL/UK), the German Space Agency DLR (Germany), the Keldysh Research Centre (Russia), Thales Alenia Space Italia (TASI/Italy) and Airbus Safran Launchers (ASL/France).

In addition to the members of the project consortium, experts from NASA Glenn Research Center, the Japanese Space Agency (JAXA), Airbus DS Germany and from Brazil participated in various project activities and offered their inputs.

Tweet

ESA affirms Open Access policy for images, videos and data
Paris (ESA) Feb 22, 2017
ESA has announced it has adopted an Open Access policy for its content such as still images, videos and selected sets of data. For more than two decades, ESA has been sharing vast amounts of information, imagery and data with scientists, industry, media and the public at large via digital platforms such as the web and social media. ESA's evolving information management policy increases these opp ... read more

Related Links
DEMOCRITOS project
The latest information about the Commercial Satellite Industry

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only