Founded in 1343, the Università di Pisa (UNIPI) is one of Italy’s most prestigious academic institutions, renowned for its excellence in scientific research, engineering, and space sciences. With a strong emphasis on innovation and sustainability, UNIPI has played a key role in European and international research collaborations, particularly in aerospace, green propulsion, and sustainable energy solutions. The university has a long-standing tradition of developing cutting-edge technologies, partnering with major space agencies and industry leaders to tackle challenges in space exploration and environmental sustainability. UNIPI’s research spans from fundamental science to applied engineering, contributing to advancements in next-generation propulsion systems, space sustainability, and energy-efficient solutions.
In the Green SWaP project, UNIPI plays a leading role as the coordinator, with contributions from both the Department of Civil and Industrial Engineering (DICI) and the Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry (DCCI) across multiple work packages:
UNIPI ensures the overall governance of the project, overseeing execution, financial and administrative aspects, and alignment with strategic objectives.
Collaborating with TU Delft, UNIPI refines mission profiles to maximize the potential of Green SWaP technologies. This includes defining the propulsion subsystem requirements for the chemical propulsion system developed in WP4, formulating a test plan, assessing the Technology Readiness Level (TRL), and establishing a qualification roadmap.
Leading the development of a chemical propulsion system, UNIPI focuses on designing and testing an innovative system based on hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and hydrogen (H₂). The team works on optimizing combustion efficiency, ignition stability, and system reliability, contributing to a new class of sustainable in-space propulsion technologies.
UNIPI facilitates collaboration with other European projects in the same research portfolio, organizing joint workshops, fostering knowledge exchange, and integrating Green SWaP technologies into broader space sustainability and green propulsion initiatives.
WP3 – Solar-to-Fuel Conversion
UNIPI contributes to the development of nanomaterials for photo/electrochemical (PC/EC) systems, including oxide-based (SnO₂, TiO₂, WO₃, Fe₂O₃), metal, and hybrid oxide-metal nanoparticle systems (Task 3.1).
UNIPI focuses on developing catalysts for H₂O₂ decomposition, specifically investigating non-critical raw material (non-CRM) alternatives to replace platinum. The team explores grafting molecular precursors of catalysts onto inorganic substrates to enhance performance and sustainability (Task 4.2).
