Established in 1842, Technische Universiteit Delft (TU Delft) is the oldest and largest technical university in the Netherlands. With approximately 26,000 students, TU Delft offers a comprehensive range of engineering and technology programs across its eight faculties. The university is renowned for its cutting-edge research and innovation, consistently ranking among the top technical universities worldwide. TU Delft’s commitment to sustainability and technological advancement is evident through its state-of-the-art research facilities and active collaboration with industry and academic partners globally. The Aerospace Engineering Faculty and the Space Engineering Department have a significant portfolio of projects funded by the European Commission, the European Space Agency and other funding bodies. The cutting-edge facilities available at the Space Engineering Department include the Space Lab, an environment for end-to-end space systems engineering at system and sub-system level, the Satellite Communications and Orbital Mechanics Lab, The Planetary Lab and the Space Instrumentation Lab.
In the Green SWaP project, TU Delft plays a pivotal role, leading and participating in several key areas:
As the leader of this work package, TU Delft is responsible for overseeing all tasks related to the systems engineering aspects of the project. This includes the identification of potential use cases and afferent technical requirements, integration of various subsystems, ensuring cohesive functionality, and definition of test plans and technology roadmaps.
TU Delft contributes its expertise to the development and optimization of the hydrogen storage tank, focusing on innovative solutions for efficient and safe hydrogen storage in space applications.
Within this work package, TU Delft leads the development of the solar thermal propulsion segment, exploring the utilization of solar energy to directly heat the hydrogen propellant. Additionally, TU Delft collaborates on the chemical propulsion tasks, contributing to the advancement of propulsion technologies based on green propellants.
Overall, TU Delft also actively participates in dissemination and portfolio activities, promoting the project’s findings and fostering collaboration with other initiatives to enhance the impact and reach of Green SWaP technologies.
