The European Commission has awarded €10 million in funding through the Horizon Europe programme to develop an innovative inflatable heat shield system called ICARUS (Inflatable Concept Aeroshell for the Recovery of a re-Usable launcher Stage). This project, led by Deimos, demonstrates the feasibility of using inflatable heat shields for recovering rocket stages and protecting cargo during re-entry from space.
Building upon the success of previous EFESTO (European Flexible hEat Shields advanced TPS design and tests for future in-Orbit demonstration) projects, ICARUS will result in an advancement of European re-entry technology. The project spans four years, started in June 2024, with a demonstrator test scheduled for 2028. The initial test features a heat shield that expands from 50cm to 3m in diameter, with commercial versions potentially reaching 10m when fully inflated.
The technology opens new possibilities for returning launch vehicles and in-orbit manufactured products to Earth. Inflatable heat shields, or inflatable atmospheric decelerators (IADs), provide key advantages through lower re-entry ballistic coefficients and reduced mechanical and aerothermal loads during re-entry. The deployable capsules integrate seamlessly into launch vehicles in a folded configuration, deploying when needed. This combination enables the recovery and potential reuse of various space system segments, including rocket stages, enhancing sustainability and reducing environmental impact.
The project partners are:
– Deimos (Spain) – Project lead, program management, system engineering and integration
– German Aerospace Center (DLR) – Flight testing and vehicle health monitoring
– CIRA – Italian Aerospace Research Centre – Thermal protection systems
– ONERA – The French Aerospace Lab – Aeroshape definition and flight characterization
– Grado Zero Lab Srl (Italy) – Development of system health monitoring sensors
– Politecnico di Torino (Italy) – Dissemination and communication
– ATMOS Space Cargo (Germany) – Inflatable structure
– HDES Service & Engineering BV (Netherlands) – Inflation system
– Demcon life sciences & health (Netherlands) – Development of system health monitoring sensors
The successful development of ICARUS will support the expansion of European space transportation technologies and services for recovering and reusing launcher stages and space cargo. The applications of the technolgy go beyond cargo return to Earth with possible applications on other planets (as shown in the Figure).
ICARUS: European Innovation in Rocket Stage Recovery
