INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Aurelion Space is developing a set of proprietary technologies designed to enable a new generation of European micro-launchers. These technologies are being protected through dedicated intellectual property filings and form the foundation of Aurelion’s long-term competitive advantage.

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Core Technologies

The Aurelion program is built around a set of core innovations focused on reusability, autonomy, and navigation resilience.
These technologies are designed to operate within the constraints of the micro-launcher class, where simplicity, reliability, and cost efficiency are critical.

Autonomous Recovery System for First Stage

Aurelion Space has developed a proprietary recovery system enabling the controlled reuse of a micro-launcher first stage through a non-propulsive descent architecture.

The system is based on a sequential logic combining:

  • automatic drogue deployment at main engine cut-off
  • controlled stabilization of the vehicle during descent
  • deployment of a steerable parafoil
  • autonomous navigation toward a predefined landing zone
  • final flare maneuver for controlled touchdown

The solution is specifically designed for sub-tonne launch vehicle stages, addressing dynamic and structural constraints not covered by existing recovery approaches. This technology enables a practical and scalable path to reusability within the micro-launcher segment.

Autonomous Navigation System for Launch and Recovery

Aurelion Space is developing a proprietary navigation system designed to ensure autonomous guidance and resilience in GPS-denied environments, both during ascent and first-stage recovery.

The system integrates multiple technologies into a unified architecture:

  • terrain profiling through real-time acquisition of ground contours
  • celestial and atmospheric referencing, using onboard optical sensors
  • synthetic vision and data fusion, combining multiple sensor inputs
  • AI-driven SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) for continuous position awareness
  • model matching with preloaded terrain data to improve navigation accuracy

This approach enables the launcher to maintain navigation capability independent of external signals, significantly increasing mission robustness.

The system also incorporates:

  • triple-redundant avionics architecture
  • multi-channel communication capabilities with automatic switching between available links

These features allow reliable operation across all mission phases, including ascent, separation, and recovery.

A Technology-Driven Approach

The Aurelion intellectual property portfolio is designed to support a modular, scalable and competitive micro-launcher architecture, combining reusability and autonomous operation. These technologies form the foundation for future developments and potential extensions across multiple aerospace applications