The future is electric Innovation 2 Go Webinar 25th June 2020 SUPREME: NEXT GENERATION OF PLASMA THRUSTERS FOR SPACE MISSIONS Manuel La Rosa Betancourt Co-Founder & CEO Marcus Collier-Wright Co-Founder & CTO 24/6/2020 2 OUTLINE Company Background Applied-Field Magnetoplasmadynamic Thrusters High Temperature Superconductors SUPREME Technology Vison and Business Case Roadmap and Traction 24/6/2020 Neutron Star Systems 3 WHO WE ARE Business Innovation Heritage THE FUTURE IS ELECTRIC • Disruptive Electric Propulsion • High Temperature Superconductors • High Power Space Missions Leadership in High-power Electric Propulsion 24/6/2020 Neutron Star Systems 4 Background 24/6/2020 Neutron star systems 5 TEAM MANUEL MARCUS GEORG DAVID CEO CTO MPD Technology Expert Head Of Engineering RYAN ORLANDO NANTWIN EUDYS Communications, HR & IT Services & PMO Systems Engineer Administrative Support Marketing 24/6/2020 Neutron Star Systems 6 Chemical vs electric propulsion CHEMICAL PROPULSION ELECTRIC PROPULSION Payload: Payload: 3 tonnes 5 tonnes Total spacecraft mass: 6 tonnes Propellant: Propellant: 3 tonnes 1 tonne 24/6/2020 Neutron Star Systems 7 Comparison of Propulsion technologies CHEMICAL ELECTROSTATIC ELECTROMAGNETIC Propellant is combusted Propellant gas is ionized, Propellant gas is ionized, and accelerated to ions are accelerated to plasma is accelerated to produce thrust. produce thrust. produce thrust. Simple Operation High Specific Impulse High Specific Impulse Propellant Flexibility High Thrust Efficiency Throttleable Flight Heritage Flight Heritage Propellant Flexibility Low Specific Impulse Complicated Operation Limited by conventional technologies Complicated Propellant Reliance on Xenon Control Poor Scalability Little Flight Heritage [7] 24/6/2020 Neutron Star Systems 8 Applied Field magnetoplasmadynamic Thruster IC m a jr x Bθ B Bz θ jr j r jr x Bz mc CATHODE jθ x Bz _ V jθ D INSULATOR B + ANODE z ID 24/6/2020 Neutron Star Systems 9 60 years of MPD heritage NASA/McDonnell Superconducting MPD 1972 24/6/2020 Neutron Star Systems 10 100kW AF-MPD prototype: sx3 Thruster (iRS Stuttgart) Mass of only 13kg! … But the electromagnet weighs 150kg and consumes 285kW Source: IEPC 2017-339 24/6/2020 Neutron Star Systems 11 SX3 thruster – impact of magnetic field strength • Steady Operation • Efficiency up to 62% • Thrust up to 3,6 N Typical Operating Conditions Normal Mode Magnetic Field: 100 mT 400 mT Power: 75 kW 100 kW Current: 750 A 440 A Voltage: 100 V 230 V Mass Flow Rate: 90 mg/s 60 mg/s Thrust: 2.1 N 2.75 N ISP: 2400 s 4665 s Efficiency: 33% 62% High Voltage Mode Source: IEPC 2017-339 24/6/2020 Neutron Star Systems 12 High temperature Superconductors (HTS) TYPE 2G HTS (pressure) Hg-Ba-Ca-Cu-O TI-Ba-Ca-Cu-O Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O (pressure) Y-Ba-Cu-O Liquid N2 (pressure) La-Sr-Cu-O Nb-Al-Ge Nb3Ge La-Ba-Cu-O V3Sj Liquid H2 NbN NbC Pb Nb Nb3Sn Hg [n] Thomas Frey, M. Kleber, H. Kinder, R. Gross Oxidation behavior of RE123 superconductors with time and place resolution. Published on August 2004 at the Technical University of Munich submitted and accepted by the Faculty of Physics on January 2005 24/6/2020 Neutron Star Systems 13 HTS Production TAPE ARCHITECTURE Cost efficient production Vacuum chamber Continuous vacuum Robust process Tape locking allowing high yield Modular Physical vapor deposition With electron beam evaporation Implementation of industrial standards Pay-off Proof of production: (back side) high quality tape Roll-on with in-line quality control © Copyright THEVA Dünnschichttechnik GmbH 24/6/2020 Neutron Star Systems 14 HTS – space applications 7 Electromagnetic 10 Shielding YBaCuO Thin Film 6 10 Rocket MRI BiSrCaCuO Tape Engine Magnets Bearings 105 SMES ) Bismuth Wire SSC Magnets 2 104 Small Payload Electromagnetic (A/cm Thalium 103 Launch Long Wire Motor Generators (50K) 102 Cryocooler Current Leads DC Space CRITICAL CURRENT DENSITY 10 Power Transmission Lines 1 0 10-3 10-2 10-1 1 10 102 MAGNETIC FIELD (T) [n] Denis J. Connolly, Robert R. Romanofsky, Paul Aron and Mark Stan, OPPORTUNITIES FOR SUPERCONDUCTIVITY IN FUTURE SPACE EXPLORATION PROGRAMS: (A HYDROGEN ECONOMY FOR THE 21ST CENTURY) NASA, Lewis Research Center Cleveland, Ohio 44135 24/6/2020 Neutron Star Systems 15 Supreme technology PROPELLANT SUPPLY POWER PROCESSING UNIT DISCHARGE UNIT APPLIED-FIELD MODULE THERMAL MANAGEMENT Magnet Mass: 4x Reduction Magnet Power Consumption: 300x Reduction Magnetic Field Strength: 4x Increase 24/6/2020 Neutron Star Systems 16 Supreme technology PROPELLANT SUPPLY POWER PROCESSING UNIT DISCHARGE UNIT APPLIED-FIELD MODULE THERMAL MANAGEMENT Technical Parameters: Power: 750W – 1MW Isp: 2000-8000s Thrust Efficiency: 50-75% Thrust Density: 10-70 mN/kW 24/6/2020 Neutron Star Systems 17 Subsystem requirements High Temperature Resistance Quench Protection Critical Temperature Electrical of 50K Conductivity Low Work Anode HTS Coil Function 1.5 T Magnetic Field Strength Flux Pump Sputtering Resistance Insulate HTS coils Current (~50K) from plasma Leads discharge (~2000K) 40W Heat Removal at 50K MLI Reverse Turbo- Brayton Cycle Thermal Management Cryogenic System Aerogels Power Draw High Temperature <800W Low Resistance Vibrations 24/6/2020 Neutron Star Systems 18 SUPREME PERFORMANCE HIGHER ISP GRIDDED ION THRUSTERS SUPREME LOWER THRUST HIGHER THRUST HALL EFFECT THRUSTERS LOWER ISP 24/6/2020 Neutron Star Systems 19 Competing companies VASIMR SUPREME AD ASTRA ROCKET USA 50 – 200 kW NEUTRON STAR SYSTEMS GERMANY 1 – 1000 kW GRIDDED ION HALL EFFECT THRUSTERS THRUSTERS AEROJET ROCKETDYNE USA 0.5 – 200 kW AEROJET ROCKETDYNE USA 0.5-7.5 kW BUSEK USA 0.1 – 20 kW L3HARRIS USA 0.45-4.5kW FAKEL RUSSIA 0.3 – 25 kW ARIANE GROUP GERMANY 0.5-8.5 kW SAFRAN GROUP FRANCE 0.5 – 20 kW QINETIQ UK 0.5-7.5 kW SITAEL ITALY 0.5 – 20 kW 24/6/2020 Neutron Star Systems 20 Competitive advantages PROPELLANT HERITAGE FLEXIBILITY THROTTLEABILITY SIMPLE AND SCALABILITY ROBUST 24/6/2020 21 100% 70% Ar Argon Kr Krypton SUPREME OPERATING RANGE 50% 30% NH3 Ammonia CH Methane 640 4 AF-MPD SF-MPDs H2 Hydrogen HET - EU HET – Int. HET - LowTRL GIT 320 HET 160 Mission Scenarios Requirements Station Keeping SUPREME Orbit Raising 80 Deep Space Missions Thrust per Power in mN/kWper Power Thrust 40 Ar, Kr 20 NH3, CH4 GIT H2 10 0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000 9000 10000 Specific Impulse in s Our Vision Small satellites & GEO Satellite Constellations Platforms Satellite Debris Removal & Maintenance Decommissioning Refuelling Orbit Raising 24/6/2020 Neutron Star Systems 23 Our Vision Mars Asteroid Gateway Mining Lunar Gateway Logistics Lunar Cargo Mars Cargo Lunar Servicing Science Crewed Exploration Mars Missions Missions 24/6/2020 Neutron Star Systems 24 opportunity Potential Annual Revenues - Neutron Star Systems (€ millions) 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 2019 2021 2023 2025 2027 2029 2031 2033 2035 2037 2039 Small Satellites GEO Satellites Science Missions Satellite Servicing Lunar Gateway Logistics Lunar Cargo (10t+) Lunar Cargo XL (30t+) Asteroid Mining Mars Cargo (50t+) Mars Cargo XL (100t+) Mars Crewed Business case €320 Million €90 Million High €30 Million Mars Cargo €20 Million Moon Cargo 100 – 1000 kW 160 – 600 kW creation €10 Million Smallsat Constellation 1 kW Value DLR Jupiter Moons 60 kW GEO Communications Potential mission cost Satellite savings when using 15 – 35 kW SUPREME Low 10 20 30 90 320 Value capturing € MILLION 24/6/2020 Neutron Star Systems 26 Business model Lunar Missions 50kW – 600kW IPR Licensing Mars and Deep Space 100kW Cyber-Physical Platform Based - – Based EP 50kW - 2500 kW 2500 – Develop SUPREME Subsystems 1kW Earth ApplicationsEarth Technology and - Secure IPR Superconductor Spacecraft Spacecraft Subsystems Superconductor Near 24/6/2020 Neutron Star Systems 27 Initial Product line 20 kW Class * Extended GEO satellites * Advanced science 5 kW Class missions * Proof of concept * Satellite Servicing demonstrator 1 kW Class * Industry Standard * Uses permanent magnets * GEO Satellite platforms * Smallsats and Constellations * Hybrid propulsion systems 24/6/2020 Neutron Star Systems 28 Company Structure NSS Germany Company HQ Centre of competence for Discharge Unit, Thermal Management and Propellant Control Subsystem assembly and integration Thruster testing & verification NSS UK Ltd. NSS Luxembourg Centre of competence for Centre of competence for Superconducting Coils, plasma simulation Cryogenics, and Power Electronics 24/6/2020 Neutron Star Systems 29 SUPREME Technology Roadmap 1965 2019 2020 2023 2025 2030 2035 2040 Large heritage in COMMERCIALISATION Business plan and developing HTS tapes and feasibility assessment Smallsats & Constellations coils Next-Generation GEO Satellites Large heritage in In-Orbit ACCELERATOR Satellite Servicing developing high-current PROGRAM Demo hollow cathodes (5kW) Lunar & Mars cargo Large heritage in Mars crewed developing MPD thruster Engineering Model technology Industrial upscaling and market preparation TRL 1-4 TRL 4-6 TRL 7 -8 TRL 8-9 24/6/2020 Neutron Star Systems 30 Traction -ACTIVITIES Horizon 2020 FET-OPEN WINNER MEESST Project RUNNER-UP Audience Choice Award Start-Up Space Competition Austin, Texas, USA €3.4 million Washington D.C., USA Top 50 ESA FINALIST Top 3 – FINALIST Autumn 2020 OHB Challenge, Innospace Masters Startups 2020 Luxembourg 24/6/2020 Neutron Star Systems 31 Traction - PARTNERS “The 20kW SUPREME model would be very suitable for use as a primary thruster on a 35kW-class GEO Satellite.” “SUPREME can take advantage of PPU technology transfer from existing systems.” “ESA has previously funded