SANCHO Project (Aerostatic System for Navigation, Communication and Observation Tools)

INSA, Ingeniería y Servicios Aeroespaciales S.A., is a leader company in Space Services and Aerospace Engineering, with a solid experience based on more than 40 years managing, operating and maintaining NASA, ESA and INTA space stations, being the largest Spanish company in this field.

INSA is also responsible for many space engineering projects in the fields of Earth Observation Systems, Satellite-based Telecommunication Networks and Ground Segment Engineering. Related to this engineering activity, INSA established an ambitious R&D plan, in which the SANCHO Project is included.

SANCHO seeks to acquire the technologies to enable the development of
aerostatic vehicles for emergency management, security and
telecommunication applications, with altitudes ranging between few
meters and stratosphere. The fields of research include aeronautical,
power control, telecommunications and Earth observation technologies.

The main goal is to provide services in critical emergency management situations, like forest fire fighting, border security and for personal communications in areas without the necessary terrestrial telecommunication infrastructures. The platforms, located far away from any normal aerial traffic, will provide data for local and regional applications that will be complementary to those provided by satellites, or will even improve satellite performance.

Regarding forest fire fighting, continuous observation of the fire progress is a high valuable information for every single resource involved in extinguishing the fire. The same applies for other natural disasters liken volcanic eruptions or thermal pollution in rivers. In the past, many infrared space platform-based applications have been developed, as well as aerial, terrestrial or even portable systems to obtain data about the development of the flame front and burned areas.

Geostationary satellites, hot air balloons and dirigible airships provide a static point of observation. Furthermore, the latter are even capable of correcting its position and counteracting atmospheric perturbations. Current cost of these equipments is reasonable, due to them being widely spread for scientific research (as well as for entertainment and advertising). The operation cost for such a dirigible airship presents great advantages over satellites, manned airships and even over unmanned aerial vehicles. Even though, there are currently no such operational projects based on these platforms, for which if the results are as expected, this would lead the project to a promising second stage.

For the current stage of the project the dirigible is expected to be flying over 1.500 meters and carrying a 100 kg payload, prior to the goal altitude of 4.000 meter and the goal payload of 200 kg. First stratospheric flights could be achieved by 2012.

Contact: Ignacio martínez Egea