Department of Aerospace Engineering Secures ERC Proof of Concept Grant for Revolutionary Propulsion Technology

The Department of Aerospace Engineering at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) has secured a prestigious Proof of Concept (PoC) grant from the European Research Council (ERC), a significant achievement in the field of aerospace research. The ERC grant will support Mario Merino Martínez in advancing his groundbreaking propulsion system, the Magnetic Arch Tandem (MAT), designed for space exploration.

Merino Martínez’s NEPTUNE project (Tandem Electrodeless Plasma Thrusters for Universal and Versatile In-Space Propulsion) focuses on developing a novel plasma thruster that uses electrode-less plasma and magnetic fields to generate thrust. The system’s versatility, ability to work with any propellant gas, and lack of moving parts promise to reduce costs and increase flexibility for future space missions. The project builds on the results of Merino Martínez’s earlier ERC Starting Grant project, ZARATHUSTRA, which laid the groundwork for the development of the MAT thruster.

The NEPTUNE project will refine the thruster’s magnetic design, optimize the system’s architecture, and test it under real vacuum conditions to evaluate its performance. It will also explore business models and partnerships with space agencies and companies to facilitate its commercial success.

More info: La UC3M consigue dos nuevas ayudas ERC Proof of Concept | UC3M