Since the spectacular win of the €110 million contract in 2020 for the development and construction of an LDRS (Large Deployable Reflector Subsystem) by the SME consortium led by HPS, the project supporting to secure a sovereign European level of innovation has been running like on rails despite all its complexity. The confidence of the end customer ESA and its prime contractor TAS-I for the mission, which has grown steadily over the course of the project’s development, has now found expression on 23.01.2023 in the sealing of the departure into Phase C/D by the signing of the so-called “RIDER” for the construction and testing of a qualification model (EQM) in 2023/2024, followed by no less than two flight models (PFM and FM2).

The supporting technology pillars of the innovation project are, in addition to the main innovation partners LSS (development, construction and test of the large deployable reflector), the HPS subsidiary HPtex (mesh production for the reflector), FHP (CFRP struts for the reflector), INVENT (CFRP tube for the deployable arm) and vH&S (for the deployment control electronics), further 10 companies from seven European countries under the consortium leadership of HPS.

The Environmental Observation Mission under the Copernicus Earth Observation Program of the European Union is an essential element of the European Space Strategy as a highly ambitious project in the field of climate observation and the understanding of effects of climate change.

HPS GmbH

Point of Contact: Dr. Ernst Pfeiffer, CEO
E-Mail: info@hps-gmbh.com
Telephone: +49 (89) 4520576-0