TeSeR Image Sequence. Photo: Airbus DS GmbH

[Via Satellite 05-04-2016] Airbus Defence and Space announced today that it will lead a team of companies for the European Union’s (EU) Technology for Self-Removal of Spacecraft (TeSeR) project, which seeks to develop technology to reduce the risk of spacecraft colliding with debris in space. Together with 10 European partners, the company will develop a prototype for a durable, cost-efficient module to ensure that future spacecraft don’t present a collision risk once they reach the end of their nominal operational lifetimes or suffer an in-service failure. The module may also function as a removal back-up in the case of a loss of control of a spacecraft.

Disused spacecraft are a potentially dangerous source of space debris. Airbus Defence and Space is acting as the coordinator of the consortium and will be responsible for project management, technical coordination and the development of specialized attitude control systems. Under grant agreement No. 687295, part of the EU’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program, TeSeR will receive EU funding of more than $3.1 million and will run through 2018. Airbus Defence and Space will also be investing its own resources in the project.