Preliminary Design Review

After completing the System Requirements Review (SRR) earlier this year, the ICARUS project has now successfully achieved its second major milestone: the Preliminary Design Review (PDR). This represents a crucial step forward in the maturation of Inflatable Heat Shield (IHS) technologies for future re-entry applications.

The PDR process culminated in a Technical Review Meeting with the European Commission held on 23 September, 2025.

The main objective of the review was to formally acknowledge that there is:

• a consolidated set of requirements to feed the Phase-C work-action (PDR→CDR time-frame);
• a design maturity aligned with the level required by ECSS standards for a Preliminary Design Review;
• a measurable and tangible technology development to support next project phase.

System design effort from SRR to PDR (Phase-B):

During this phase, the team carried out a structured System Engineering (SE) loop to further develop and consolidate the design definition of the System and confirm the Mission design. Activities included:

• Extended CAD work and detailed layout optimization;
• Detailed mechanical definition of key structural elements;
• Integration of updated subsystems architecture;
• Detailed avionic and functional architecture, with update of avionics components, including Health Monitoring System (HMS) and sensors;
• Detailed definition of mechanical and electrical interfaces (internal and external);
• Consolidation of the system synthesis;
• Significant technology development progress, supported by successful breadboards and engineering model testing of the key innovation elements;
• Consolidation of requirements at system and sub-system level;
• Definition of preliminary Manufacturing Assembly Integration and Test (MAIT) plan for the Phase-D both at system and sub-system level.

Current project status at PDR:

• design-maturity achieved at system and sub-system level, fully meeting the PDR expectations;
• work-plan perfectly aligned with the project schedule;
• risks under control, with mitigation strategies in place;
• early procurements already started to support the upcoming phases.

Next Steps

With the PDR successfully completed, the ICARUS project is now entering the Phase-C, heading toward the Critical Design Review (CDR) planned to be held in December 2026. This milestone will mark the transition from design to manufacturing and integration, paving the way for the flight test campaign at ESRANGE Space Center, schedule for January 2028.

Stay tuned as ICARUS continues to shape the future of re-entry and reusable space systems in Europe.

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