www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-gerard-34b77314b
Contact mail – office:
Cycle: 41
Curriculum: Industrial Engineering
Title of the PhD Project: Air-Breathing cathode-less thruster development for an air-breathing electric propulsion (ABEP) system
Supervisor(s): Tommaso Andreussi at the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna
Co-supervisors: Vittorio Giannetti, Eugenio Ferrato, Fabrizio Paganucci
Abstract of the PhD project:
The Very Low Earth Orbits (VLEO) are starting to be seen as an alternative to avoid the saturation of satellites in Low Earth Orbits due to constellation. This region with an untapped potential brings advantages for satellite performance but also multiple challenges for its operation. The main issue is the atmospheric drag leading to the need of spacecraft’s continuous thrust to maintain its attitude. One solution to untie the link between the propellant available on-board and the mission is to use the atmospheric particles around, leading to the development of air breathing propulsion systems (ABEP). Among the particles, oxygen creates difficulties to operate standard electric thrusters as the cathode is highly sensitive to oxidation. To remove that constraint and improve the lifetime of the propulsion system, the main objective of this PhD project is to design a cathode-less thruster for air-breathing operation. In parallel of this activity, the system design topic will also be addressed to propose a spacecraft architecture and mission compatible to VLEO.
Experiences:
- Research fellow at the Institute of Mechanical Intelligence in Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna (7 months)
- Fluidic engineer and system architect at Safran Spacecraft Propulsion (3 years and 4 months)
Publications
Articles
- Ferrato, E; Moriconi, B; Gerard, T; Giannetti, V; Andreussi, T
Conventional and Air-Breathing Electric Propulsion Trade-offs for VLEO Nanosatellites
https://www.electricrocket.org/IEPC_2025/London/submission_282.pdf
- Piragino, A; Le Mehauté, D; Gerard, T ; Briges, A ; Bobon, P ; Guyon, V ; Krzymuski, T ; Lecervoisier, A ; Lo Basso, A; Richard, A-M; Pouleau, E; Vial, V; Duchemin, O
Safran’s EPS-X00 low power system: Latest development and Qualification tests
https://www.electricrocket.org/IEPC_2025/London/submission_526.pdf
- Piragino, A ; Guyon, V; Le Mehauté, D; Gerard, T; Brito, C-M ; Vial, V ; Pouleau, E ; Duchemin, O
Development and Qualification Status of the Safran EPS-X00 Low Power Propulsion System