MATERIALS FROM SPLAB-POLIMI AND REACTIVE POWDER TECHNOLOGY CAN IMPROVE DEMISABILITY OF SATELLITES
The SPADEXO project is an ESA-TRP financed activity which is proving the efficacy of using energetic charges to ease the demise of satellites during their reentry after the end of their life.
We are now in the culminating days of test campaign and the SPLab team is in Cologne at L2K plasma wind tunnel of the DLR Center for the integration in different specimen of some special thermites. These are energetic materials produced in cooperation with our spin-off company Reactive Powder Technology.
We have proven that melting of a steel cylinder can be induced by a small internal thermite charge.
In the pictures: before charge ignition (cover image), charge ignition, consequent melting of a part of the metal vessel.