Project
About the project
CRYSALIS is a
collaborative project
CRYSALIS is a collaborative project funded by the EU to develop a system for the transfer and long-term storage of cryogenic propellant in microgravity, culminating in a 6-month small-scale orbital demonstration. The demonstration system serves to validate cryogenic propellant storage and transfer tests in the space environment, unlocking novel opportunities for exploration, including in-orbit transportation, long-duration missions, and in-orbit storage.
CRYSALIS stands as a flagship project propelling space exploration and the evolution of the European space transportation ecosystem. By enabling the launch of a spacecraft and its cryogenic propellant separately, the technologies developed will increase the size and duration of missions to Mars and the Moon, facilitating new frontiers in space exploration.
The project’s far-reaching impacts encompass logistics and transportation applications such as cryogenic propellant refuelling, maintenance, life extension, storage, and disposal in orbit.
CRYSALIS stands as a flagship project propelling space exploration and the evolution of the European space transportation ecosystem. By enabling the launch of a spacecraft and its cryogenic propellant separately, the technologies developed will increase the size and duration of missions to Mars and the Moon, facilitating new frontiers in space exploration.
The project’s far-reaching impacts encompass logistics and transportation applications such as cryogenic propellant refuelling, maintenance, life extension, storage, and disposal in orbit.
About the project
CRYSALIS is a collaborative project
CRYSALIS is a collaborative project
CRYSALIS is a collaborative project funded by the EU to develop a system for the transfer and long-term storage of cryogenic propellant in microgravity, culminating in a 6-month small-scale orbital demonstration. The demonstration system serves to validate cryogenic propellant storage and transfer tests in the space environment, unlocking novel opportunities for exploration, including in-orbit transportation, long-duration missions, and in-orbit storage.
CRYSALIS stands as a flagship project propelling space exploration and the evolution of the European space transportation ecosystem. By enabling the launch of a spacecraft and its cryogenic propellant separately, the technologies developed will increase the size and duration of missions to Mars and the Moon, facilitating new frontiers in space exploration.
The project’s far-reaching impacts encompass logistics and transportation applications such as cryogenic propellant refuelling, maintenance, life extension, storage, and disposal in orbit.
Six sub-objectives:
Demonstrate
To demonstrate zero-boil off long term storage of cryogenic propellant in a microgravity environment
Lossless transfer
To showcase the lossless transfer of cryogenic propellant between two tanks in a micro-gravity environment
Characterization
Improved characterisation of the behaviour of cryogenic propellant in a microgravity environment
Acoustic mass gauging
To illustrate acoustic mass gauging of cryogenic propellant in a microgravity environment
Acoustic systems
To demonstrate the use of acoustic systems to aid in cryogenic propellant management (bubble control/aid with settling)
Boil-off reduction
To showcase the use of an acoustic system to reduce boil-off in orbit.
