The project is aimed at developing a technology research platform to be used in special projects which currently are too risky and can’t be tested in regular environments
CATEC is participating in the PERIGEO project, with which it is intended to develop a space technology research platform to be tested in unmanned aircrafts (UAV). The goal is to develop an infrastructure enabling to research technologies to be used in space programmes and which aren’t currently used because they are very risky and can’t be tested in regular environment.
The project will focus its research on solving technological challenges related to four space mission scenarios; Earth observation; interplanetary flights in proximity to celestial bodies (asteroids, comets…); atmospheric flight; and safe and accurate descent and landing for planetary exploration.
PERIGEO will be carried out under an aerospace consortium led by the company DEIMOS which besides CATEC has the participation of the Robotics, Vision and Control team of AICIA and the enterprises GMV, Aernnova, TCP, Ixion, Empention, Aerlyper and AD-Telecom, together with research organizations INTA, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, IG, IMDEA and CTA, with the collaboration of ITER and PARAFLY and the coordination of IPLUSF.
Testing itinerary to check new technologies will be started at Universidad Carlos III’s facilities. After this, indoors flights with aircrafts will be carried out in CATEC. Finally, technologies will be tested in INTA’s unmanned aircrafts at El Aeronosillo (Huelva). The consortium is also aimed at reducing R&D time needed to get the level of maturity to one, two or three years of aerospace programmes.
The project is endowed with a budget of over 18 million euros co-funded through the call Innpronta 2011 managed by CDTI and the enterprises which form the consortium. Performances will be carried out during a period of three years, until 2014 and will involve around 70 people.
