About webinar
In this webinar, we will present an overview of the work carried out by the consortium during the project’s lifetime, showcasing the innovative solutions, engineering milestones, and technological breakthroughs that are driving significant reductions in mass, cost, and complexity for space power systems.
From early design phases to critical performance demonstrations, the project has advanced towards delivering a fully tested PPU engineering model, ready to support Europe’s competitiveness and autonomy in space propulsion technology. This session will summarise the contributions of all partners, share key results and highlight the most exciting achievements.
- Date: 06.11.2025 | Completed
- Time: 10:00 - 11:15
- Platform: Webex
Presentations & speakers
Development of a Power Processing Unit (PPU) based on COTS for ion thrusters
Javier Torres
Technical manager for PPU at Airbus Crisa
Explanation of the process and engineering challenges encountered in the development of a new PPU. The presentation will focus on the system engineering trade-offs that have been made to achieve a competitive product, such as definition of key performance indicators, components selection or the integration of a radio-frequency inverter for gridded-ion thrusters. Final results of the engineering model will also be presented.
Design of a RF Generator for a Gridded Ion Thruster: RF Harness Impact and Required Filter Network
Guillermo Núñez Rodríguez
Researcher in power electronics at Polytechnic University of Madrid
Thrusters have to be placed in specific points of the satellite, so they are placed far from the electronics that supply the power and must be connected using a long harness.
Typically, the RFG is also placed next to the thruster, but in this project the RFG is placed next to the rest of the electronics in order to integrate everything together, saving mass and cost.
This webinar will present the effects of placing the RFG before the harness and the designed filter solution.
FRAZA Magnetic Components
Franci Zajc
Researcher in FRAZA
FRAZA’s responsibilities within the DEEP PPU project were to produce custom made magnetic components. FRAZA has developed and produced prototypes for following magnetic components based on their own patented technology. The magnetic components that were produced are isolation transformer, ZVS inductor, buck inductor, ZCD Sensor, harness magnetics, compensation network inductor and filter inductor. (All the activities of FRAZA are directly linked to activities of UPM.)
Connecting Performance and Innovation: Axon’s Custom Harness for the DEEP PPU project
Stéphane Hermant
Technical authority for power distribution and high speed digital links for space at Axon’ Cable
Axon’ is in charge to develop a custom harness between the power unit and the thruster in the frame of DEEP PPU project.
This harness has to meet specific requirements with high constraints (transmission line, high voltage, high frequency, high current, very high temperature) and must be manipulable and easily implemented into a satellite.
Axon’ uses his huge heritage on Space products and its capacitance to innovate to define a cable assembly to cover the high technical requirements. Axon’ manufactured an efficient cable and designed the associated connectors.
Propulsion System relying on COTS PPU: Status and Application
Fabien Malet
Electric Propulsion Road Map and Development Leader at Airbus Defence and Space Toulouse
Airbus Toulouse has specified the PPU and the specifc harness, between the RFG (Radio Frequency Gnerator within the PPU) and the RIT2X Grid-ion Engine. The main objective was to cover a large range of power applications and associated propulsion functions. Electronics and components experts were involved to support Crisa, UPM, AXON and Fraza for selection and validation of technologies. Presentation is focusing on PPU implementation, through a complete propulsion system, and its interest for future missions.