Life Cycle Assessment of Ground Segment in space sector

RINA has been awarded the contract for the study on ‘Life Cycle Assessment of Ground Segment in Space Sector’ issued by ESA – European Space Agency.

The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a standardized methodology, which assesses environmental impacts associated with all the stages of a product/service life cycle, from raw material extraction and materials processing to manufacture, distribution, use, repair and maintenance and disposal or recycling.

The Ground Segment’s (GS) main function is the management of communication between the in-orbit satellite and the ground, according to the mission’s scopes. This can be performed through TT & C (Telemetry, Tracking & Command) systems, specific infrastructures, equipment and personnel.

The one-year study, managed by RINA with the support of Spanish Space Company Deimos Space and French Consulting Company Bertin Technologies, is going to:

• Identify and define various “generic families” of GS representatives for Telecommunication (TC), Navigation (NAV), Scientific, Earth Observation (EO), etc. missions, covering their specific infrastructures and operations
• Perform LCA of the environmental impact of the various GS families
• Provide datasets and methodological guidelines about LCA methodology applied to GS in order to update/complete the ESA LCA Handbook and Database
• Investigate innovative eco-design options (technical solutions, spin-ins and/or new technologies, innovative processes, etc.) by also considering non-technical aspects (cost and risks, TRL, implementation roadmap, etc.) which can be applied to the various GS family’s infrastructures and operations in order to reduce their environmental impact.

The project is part of the ESA Clean Space Initiative, which promotes an eco-friendly approach to space activities.