The International Space
Propulsion Group of Companies
P.O.
Box 1144
Marlborough
Wiltshire SN8 3WB
United Kingdom
tel: +44
1672 871587, +44 1296 658570, +44 7733 116562
fax: +44 1672 871587
email:
info@ispropulsion.com
url:
http://www.ispropulsion.com
Paul R.H. Williams:
CEO
Chris L. Smith: Chief Operations Officer
Samantha V. Green:
Administration Officer
ISP International Space Propulsion Limited
(ISP) was formed in October 2001 to provide knowledge-based engineering
services to the space propulsion industry, primarily within
Europe.
Consultancy support in subsystem design, production, procurement
and test is performed through the ISP Group.
In 2007, European Astrotech
Limited (EAL) was formed as a wholly owned subsidiary, to perform chemistry and
other propellant-based services, testing and equipment maintenance and to
manage a new facility on behalf of the ISP Group.
EAL provides all Test
and Launch Support (TLS) services, including propellant procurement, analysis
and shipping.
The ISP Group of Companies brings together talented and
dedicated individuals from many varied sources with the experience and
knowledge of the best European space propulsion techniques and practices, to
provide a support service of the highest quality, to benefit all
clients.
By operating a flexible and highly mobile business model, the
ISP Group takes propulsion support to a new level, ensuring rapid response and
maximum efficiency to bring customers the value they require.
Unlike the
major contractors, we perform space propulsion engineering, MAIT and specialist
chemical services as our core business, which means we have the dedication,
expertise, equipment and know-how to meet any challenge and any circumstance
that may occur, to the highest industrial standards, within restrictive
timeframes and budgets.
Our applied experience is second-to-none; our
dedication and enthusiasm to achieve required results is unmatched; our support
to our clients is unquestionable.
The ISP Group 10-point Support
Plan
We have identified the following areas where support of the ISP
Group could be beneficial:
1. Subsystem design insight and
expertise
Company personnel have been supporting design,
manufacturing and production of propulsion systems in Europe since the 1980's,
with involvement in many of Europe's successes in that time, including GIOTTO,
OLYMPUS, CLUSTER, ROSETTA and ATV.
As a result, the Company has
appreciable expertise in a wide variety of missions and subsystem types,
configurations and layouts, scales and requirements, along with the inherent
benefit of lessons learned on each programme.
This depth of experience,
coupled with the professional expertise that is gained through continuous
activities in the field, is one attribute that sets ISP Consultancy out from
the rest. As independent support providers, that pool of knowledge can be made
available to all Customers, to support each and every programme
equally.
2. Documentation experience - standardised formats and
protocols
A major area of activity that is the historical cause
of many problems and uncertainties is the various approaches amongst Prime
Contractors and Agencies to Project Management and Technical
documentation.
In supporting and implementing a pan-European
standardisation of approach, ISP Group personnel are able to assess and
generate documents that demonstrate full compliance with current and historical
norms, allowing high levels of understanding and traceability through programme
heritage.
We have performed documentation support roles in many
inter-European projects, with great success and built up an understanding of
objectives rarely found in mainstream corporations, owing to staff turnover and
training shortfalls.
The ISP Group has a team of translators in
technical French and German, which also provides a heightened capability where
National requirements and standards are concerned.
3. Subsystem
Production - parts, materials and processes management, including Product
Assurance and Project Management implementation
An insight into
production practices and Parts, Materials and Process (PMP) philosophies give
our technical teams an unequalled vision of past and potential material-related
problem areas, concerning mechanisms, assemblies and complete systems
alike.
Our personnel are able to use their experiences in these fields
to apply a holistic approach to PMP performance, to identify areas of concern
before they reach criticality and, by application of early detection
techniques, mitigate problems before they arise.
This is just an example
of the nature of experience that ensures a greater efficiency in programmes,
leading to extended value and safety and reduced programme
risk.
4. Propulsion chemistry support, analysis, safety and
materials diagnosis
The ISP Group maintains a level of chemical
expertise that may be considered to be one of the highest in Europe in the
space propulsion field.
Coupled with our state-of-the-art facility in
Southern England, our level of support in propellant chemistry, including
material compatibility and chemical effects, is highly regarded by many in the
industry.
5. Ground Support Equipment design/build, mechanical
services
Our inventory of propulsion Ground Support Equipment
continues to grow and currently allows support of all mainstream propellant
services.
At our mechanical workshops, we design and build electrical
GSE, loading and pressurisation equipment, as well as providing a maintenance,
calibration and refurbishment service to external users.
All equipment
serviced in the workshop is pressure-tested to the highest safety standard,
including hoses and individual items.
This facility is one of very few
where GSE can be tested and/or rated using high pressures and
propellants.
6. Assembly and Subsystem test
The ISP
Groups Test and Launch Service (TLS) teams have a great deal of experience in
the preparation, performance and management of propulsion module testing,
either at assembly level, or on the completed subsystem.
Most Prime
Contractors have an AIT team who perform propulsion system support activities,
but our TLS teams are different, in that each is capable of performing all
roles within that team, including all the documentation support, GSE
preparation and logistics management, as well as technical support to system
engineering.
The inclusion of a propulsion specific test team in a
programme releases non-specific technical staff to perform general duties and
lowers the risk of error.
7. Launch preparation, GSE and
logistics, Range Safety support and advisory, Customer liaison, pre-launch test
performance
ISP Group personnel have a long history with
European propulsion systems, including monopropellant and bipropellant system
types, comprising European and US/Worldwide components. The missions are
equally varied, with involvement in telecommunication, meteorological and
scientific payloads, in orbital and interplanetary applications.
For
launch support, our TLS teams can provide a service to include all preparation
and logistics, procurement and shipping support (for GSE and propellant), and
operational performance. This includes spacecraft interface, Customer liaison,
real-time campaign management, loading/pressurisation/decontamination
activities and full technical support to the Flight Readiness
Review.
8. Equipped launch support teams
The TLS
teams are equipped with: SCAPE (Self Contained Apparatus - Pressurised
Ensemble) suits for operations in hazardous environments, radio communications
equipment (RADCOM), decontamination suits and masks and clean room
apparel.
In addition, the teams can be fully equipped with Dräger
hazardous environment monitors and breathing air compressors.
The GSE
used by the TLS teams are fully refurbished, tested and prepared for use in our
facilities, prior to shipment. All test certificates and reports will be made
available for inspection.
Following successful completion of the
activities (emergency Launch cover may be provided on request), the GSE will be
decontaminated and shipped back to our facility for rotation.
9.
On-Site propellant analysis
The on-going development of our
proprietary propellant analyser is proving very popular with many Prime
Contractors, both in Europe and elsewhere.
With this tool, it will be
possible to certify propellants at the launch site, allowing transport of bulk
loads for long-term storage and utilisation over a period of time (i.e. for
series of satellites, or constellations) and transfer with
confidence.
The tool will utilise off-the-shelf, low risk parts,
standardised procedures and an approach to simplify operation and
maintenance.
The use of this analysis equipment will be through the TLS
teams, as part of a wider launch preparation activity, as part of the
propellant procurement order, or as a stand-alone service.
10.
Propellant Awareness training
From 2009, propulsion awareness
courses for engineers, technicians and managers working within the field will
be offered.
The course will cover philosophies widely used but often
misunderstood. Documentation preparation, reliability and best practice will be
included to allow those involved in all areas to achieve greater efficiency and
understanding of required tasks.
The course will incorporate component
design and operation, hazards and precautions, the importance of trend analysis
and subsystem testing.
It is foreseen that the course will also provide
an opportunity to experience operations in SCAPE suits, although not in
hazardous environments.
The Benefits of Independence
The
ISP Group is proud of its position of independence, with no corporate
connection to any other major Prime or Subsystem Contractor, outside of
standard commercial
arrangements.
Standardisation
This position allows
us to offer standardised propulsion services to any Client, within the limits
of National UK or International restrictions (trade embargos, UN sanctions, for
example).
We consider the majority of the Global space propulsion
industry to be quasi-mature, which means that a standardised approach can be
implemented in around 85% of cases. Of course, our heritage allows us to also
deal with the non-standard 15% with
ease.
Continuity
The ISP Group personnel have at
their disposal, the most comprehensive, and unrivalled, propulsion service of
its kind in Europe, resulting from our experiences from a wide range of
operations, for many Clients. This allows the state-of-the-art to actually
develop within the teams, rather than be affected by restrictive staff turnover
events.
Our seamless service package allows our personnel to influence
design and development of systems; support MAIT and procurement processes; and
provide launch support, to permit a smooth and effortless transit through the
system procurement stages, including Product Assurance support and Project
Management, all within a small, dedicated team of professional engineers. This
continuous 'thread' reduces the risk of failure and minimises time and effort
losses.
By providing this comprehensive approach, Client resources can
be managed in a much more efficient
way.
Flexibility
Our Engineering support team can
provide the additional interface presence when a Client is dealing with a
multi-location project, for example. Our MAIT team can support a propulsion
system test programme, or launch campaign (even providing extra equipment) to
ensure a wider coverage by the Client. Our Procurement team can provide shadow
engineering or assessment personnel at Supplier premises. The possibilities are
numerous.
With the proprietary information secure within the NDA, our
teams become indigenous Client personnel, without the permanence of employed
extra staff and the insecurity of temporary contract staff.
Budget
Efficiency
The price and activity/responsibilities quoted and
defined prior to commencing the Contract will be firm and fixed
price.
If additional charges become necessary, owing to unforeseen
delays for example, we will submit a Contract Change Note, for Customer
approval.
The result is a fully controllable activity, with no hidden
cost, no extra personnel welfare considerations (health, holiday or pension
plans), no extra supervision or management and no fears of resource
conflict.
We will endeavour, to the best of our abilities, to complete
the tasks within time and monetary budgets defined at Contract start.
We
will maintain our Quality commitments and ensure all aspects of our corporate
responsibility, including Customer interface, are met.