Design of a business roadmap methodology: application in Air-Breathing Electric Propulsion (ABEP) systems for Very Low Earth Orbits (VLEO) missions

Abstract

This thesis serves the objective of developing a methodology for high level strategic planning to link an organisation’s business model with the projection of a technology’s development and its implications on the market. So, the roadmapping methodology proposed involves the definition of a state of the art of the technology studied, an in-depth study of the markets on which it can have an impact, the analysis of stakeholders involved in its development, a quantification of the influence of inside and outside factors on the technology, a projection of the investment budget needs and, finally, a visual representation of the development proposed. The proposed methodology can be applied to a variety of technologies with only little adaptation needed. In this thesis, it has been applied to a case study of Air Breathing Electric Propulsion (ABEP) in Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) missions. VLEO refers to the region of Earth’s orbit between 80 and 400 km from the surface. This region has not been able to be exploited due to its conditions of high particle density, which creates drag and reduces the life of satellite missions dramatically, and the presence of highly corrosive atomic gas species. ABEP is a technology in development that collects these harmful particles and uses them as propellant for its electric thrusters, canceling the drag created and enabling sustainable long-term missions in VLEO. Through a series of commonly used tools for strategic planning and business analysis, a series of actions are proposed to deal with the main factors around the development of ABEP for the next 15 years. A cumulative investment budget of €2641 million is also calculated to best develop the proposed actions in the studied time span.