Airbus Safran micro-launcher called "Sparrow"?

[ringsider]

There have been rumors of a new Airbus Safran micro-launcher for a while, but while I was perusing these slides contributed to the French government last year by Airbus Safran Launchers (on the subject of Newspace)....

http://www.gouvernement.fr/sites/default/files/contenu/piece-jointe/2016/07/contributions_-_remise_du_rapport_de_genevieve_fioraso_sur_lavenir_du_secteur_spatial.pdf

...I spotted this:-

❑ Maximiser l’effet de levier du financement public pour favoriser l’émergence d’un écosystème de start-ups et d’équipes de recherche dans l’enseignement supérieur en :

✓ Soutenant le projet de micro-lanceurs Sparrow pour ce marché grâce à un PPP

• Ce projet est un pilote du « New Space » pour la France et l’Europe

• Il favorisera la recherche spatiale par un accès rapide et bon marché à l’espace

✓ Structurant le marché des micro-satellites/ cubesats par la définition « du » standard et le lancement

d’une initiative commerciale en ligne pour l’offre de lancement. Cela passera par la réalisation d’un démonstrateur de dispenseur intégrant ce standard d’interfaces


Page 25-26.

Translation via Google


❑ Maximize the leverage of public funding to encourage the emergence of an ecosystem of start-ups and research teams in higher education by:

✓ Supporting the Sparrow micro-launch project for this market through a PPP

• This project is a pilot of the "New Space" for France and Europe

• It will promote space research through fast and cheap access to space

✓ Structuring the micro-satellite / cubesat market by defining the "standard" and launching

Of an online business initiative for the launch offer. This will involve the realization of a Demonstrator integrating this standard of Interfaces


Now I don't know if that is their own project or something else but I never heard of a project called Sparrow before.

Any ideas?

[gosnold]

Interesting. I did not know about it but googling it shows it is mentioned in the main Fioraso report (what you linked is the appendix):
http://www.gouvernement.fr/sites/default/files/document/document/2016/07/rapport_vf_-_remise_du_rapport_de_genevieve_fioraso_sur_lavenir_du_secteur_spatial.pdf

page 58 talks about "microlanceur à poudre SPARROW" (solid propulsion SPARROW microlauncher) and has an image:


It's an Ariane 6 PPH redux (probably without the H though).

[john smith 19]

Interesting. I did not know about it but googling it shows it is mentioned in the main Fioraso report (what you linked is the appendix):
http://www.gouvernement.fr/sites/default/files/document/document/2016/07/rapport_vf_-_remise_du_rapport_de_genevieve_fioraso_sur_lavenir_du_secteur_spatial.pdf

page 58 talks about "microlanceur à poudre SPARROW" (solid propulsion SPARROW microlauncher) and has an image:


It's an Ariane 6 PPH redux (probably without the H though).

That's doesn't sound like a "micro launcher" to me. 

Vega is 2 stage all solid and that's in the metric tonne to LEO category.

This just sounds strange.

[gosnold]

Napkin math says that if it carries 100kg to LEO, it's 10 times lighter than Vega. So a total weight of 14t, around 3t per SRB. Still quite big.

[Rik ISS-fan]

I think those are a lot smaller solids than P120C (P142). I think this is kind of a France Minotaur if you ask me.
So reuse of the M45 or M51 stages. but it could also be even smaller,
aka S50 or derived from the POD-X/POD-Y demonstrator.

P40 or Z40 D2.3m; L7.6m
Z23 D1.9m; L7.5m
S50 (P12) D1.45m; L5m
POD-Y, D0.70m; L2.8m

Given the calculated 14mT GLOW, POD-Y is the most likely
All goes back to the Aldebaran studies. I think this is derived from the Eurofighter / Rafale air-launched launcher.

I've seen a more advanced French micro launcher concept. tip: S4
And another I think there was also a secondary payload structure for this launcher presented at that event.

Sorry I can't stop additing

[gosnold]

I think those are a lot smaller solids than P120C (P142). I think this is kind of a France Minotaur if you ask me.
So reuse of the M45 or M51 stages. but it could also be even smaller,
aka S50 or derived from the POD-X/POD-Y demonstrator.

...classified... = P40 or Z40 D2.4m; L8m
...classified... = Z23 D1.9m; L8m
S50 (P12) D1.45m; L5m
...classified... / POD-X, D0.75m; L4m

Given the calculated 14mT GLOW, POD-X is the most likely
All goes back to the Aldebaran studies. I think this is derived from the Eurofighter / Rafale air-launched launcher.

I've seen a more advanced French micro launcher concept. tip: S4
And another I think there was also a secondary payload structure for this launcher presented at that event.

Sorry I can't stop additing

Now that you mention the Zefiros, maybe Sparrow is 4x Z-9. That would reduce development costs, even if it seems a little too big.

[ringsider]

Interesting. I did not know about it but googling it shows it is mentioned in the main Fioraso report (what you linked is the appendix):
http://www.gouvernement.fr/sites/default/files/document/document/2016/07/rapport_vf_-_remise_du_rapport_de_genevieve_fioraso_sur_lavenir_du_secteur_spatial.pdf

Aha, good find.

That same document has this footnote:

Electron de Rocketlab, New Shepard de Blue Origin, LauncherOne et VSS de Virgin Galactics, Lynx de XCor, Alpha de Firefly, Arion de PLD Space, Sparrow d’ASL, Minivega d’Avio, etc.

Rumor confirmed?

There is also this Minivega d'Avio, which a quick Google reveals to be:



Nice graphics.

[gosnold]

Ouch. 20M€ for 300kg SSO seems pricey. Launcher One targets 200kg for less than 10M€.

[Space Ghost 1962]

Traditional launch providers totally misunderstand the microlauncher concept. Which, like space tourism, may or may not exist as a market. They think of it mostly as a PR stunt.

Part of the reason is that the key to it is not having any permanent facilities. When you tell them this, it kinda breaks their brain - "but, no launch system has that ..." then "how does a Scud get launched? Oh ... but that couldn't possibly work ..." and "yes, that's the whole point" to "Oh we don't ... do that."

[john smith 19]

Still had no luck finding anything from a Saffran "sparrow." 

All I've found is a "Rafel" Sparrow from Israel acting as a target vehicle simulation various kinds of IRBM's.

[Notaris]

Still had no luck finding anything from a Saffran "sparrow." 
[...]

What are you looking for? Sparrow is the concpet of ASL (Airbus-Safran-Launchers, the launcher joint venture of Airbus and Safran). The information in the "Open Space" report of Fioraso is likely the only publicly available infos on the concept for the time being.

Ouch. 20M€ for 300kg SSO seems pricey. Launcher One targets 200kg for less than 10M€.

I fully share gosnold's view on the hefty price tag of the Mini-Vega. What makes things worse, I find it highly doubtful that a launch price as "low" as the quoted 15-20 M€ can even be achieved, judging from the prices that one has to pay for a Vega today.

[Rik ISS-fan]

The micro Vega, the real France-Italian Minotour
Add mini VEGA (Z40 Z40 Z9a Avum+ (green)) with a payload of about 800kg.
And ASL / ELV can serve the complete launch market.

Pod-x is D0.75 L6m
Pod-Y is D0.75 L2.8m
I think Sparrow uses the POD-Y grain geometry.
And I have the impression all stages have a slbm background.  (Z23; Z9; P40; P3).
In my previous post I wasn't referring to micro Vega. Thanks for posting it.
I think the solid launchers are the high price back-up, for the other (more advanced and cheaper) launchers that are possibly under develoment.
I think it's a good idea to use surplus motors or production capability to assure access to space. The high price assures that these launchers don't stagnate the development of launchers that comply to REACH regulations.

I think the sparrow solid stage could also be usefulll for sounding rockets. Like S50 of the VLM-1.
There are two major downsides to sollids. Their high cost and their toxicity. But under EU Horizon 2020 they have worked on that. 

[Rik ISS-fan]

I fully share gosnold's view on the hefty price tag of the Mini-Vega. What makes things worse, I find it highly doubtful that a launch price as "low" as the quoted 15-20 M€ can even be achieved, judging from the prices that one has to pay for a Vega today.

What is the launch cost of a Vega according to you?
It's about 35mln euro if I'm not mistaken. It's in the old normal cost range.
But ESA / ASL didn't push for Prometheus for nothing.

edit: The slide after the one posted, is more interesting and in line with what I've posted in the past.

Back on topic.
I expect Sparrow and Micro Vega will remain after Arianespace has moved to Ariane Next.
They will remove the requirement for large solids on the Ariane family.

I think the European scientific community will be very happy when Sparrow, VLM and micro/mini Vega become available.  (SHEFEX; Expert; Maxus)

[Space Ghost 1962]

Sparrow is a concept. Will never fly. It is only present to illustrate Airbus Safran current utter cluelessness.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

It wasn't meant to be:

#Sparrow, a secret #ArianeGroup micro-sat-launcher project, was started in 2016 and cancelled later the same year, reports the French 'Challenges' magazine.

https://twitter.com/auersusan/status/933136536098557952

#Arianegroup #Sparrow2/2

Inability to reach the design goal of ~500kg for $12m as well as doubts about the micro-launcher market in general have been listed as reasons for the project's demise. source: https://www.challenges.fr/entreprise/aeronautique/sparrow-le-petit-frere-d-ariane-5-qui-ne-decollera-jamais_514816

https://twitter.com/auersusan/status/933139419980107776

[Rik ISS-fan]

Funny I see some proposals from the 2008-2012 Aldebaran Study: Rafaele MLA; VEHRA; Autre CNES/Onera.
EOLE and ALTAIR also are evolved from concepts considered inside this study; Dedalus. EOLE is the UAV for the Perseus (France University launcher development).
Altair is the EU Horizon 2020 program for the larger variant (full size Dedalus).
AFAIK Adeline was proposed by Airbus in 2013?.
Sparrow is the youngest proposal, most likely related from POD-Y FLPP demonstator.
 
Adeline/Autre CNES/Onora; Altair and Smile are the most likely to be developed, in my opinion.

[calapine]

Thinking about it, Sparrow is very close to the Vega L. Both in payload:

mini-launcher for satellites weighing 300-350 kilograms

and technically in that they are both solid boosters concepts. With the difference that Vega L has the benefit on family commonality, something Sparrow couldn't have claimed.

In that light Sparrow's business case seem indeed doubtful. And additionally - here I am speculating - small sat launch revenue is just loose change for Airbus, but probably more important for Avio which has an interest in finding a long term application for solid boosters.

[Rik ISS-fan]

I think the cost for a solid stage doesn't scale well, so a smaller sollid stage doesn't cost a lot less then a larger one. Extrapolated from the image; Sparrow would use four solid and a stowable propellant stage. Vega-L uses one or two solid stages and a liquid stage (Cryo or stowable). I think that although Vega-L uses larger stages, it's cheaper because it uses less stages.
Avio and the Safraan part of ArianeGroup have intrest in maintaining solids. Something with M...
AFAIK, all nozzles for the solids are manufactured in France.

Sparrow could have had commonality with a sounding rocket derived from it. (One or two stage; replacement for MAXUS) But DLR is contributing to the VBS-43 and VS-50 development for this.
And Nammo is developing their hybrid sounding rockets, and PLDspace is developing Arion 1. ...

Edit: image from DLR MoRaBa

Or should sparrow have been derived from a sounding rocket?

[gosnold]

In that light Sparrow's business case seem indeed doubtful. And additionally - here I am speculating - small sat launch revenue is just loose change for Airbus, but probably more important for Avio which has an interest in finding a long term application for solid boosters.

Airbus is very interested in having an European small sat launch capability, to launch observation satellites without interference from foreign powers. But Vega already fills that requirement, so they don't need to invest. They might be interested in a smaller launcher for the smaller satellites their SSTL subsidiary produces, but that's probably not seen as critical.