GTD contribution to Europe’s Autonomous Flight Safety System

We are proud to announce that Acta Astronautica, the renowned journal of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA), has published a scientific article co-authored by Alejandro Sabán and Eduard Díez, engineers at GTD. The paper outlines the design of a fully autonomous Flight Safety System (AFSS) — a key enabler for the next generation of European launchers, especially in the context of reusability and infrastructure reduction.

The AFSS has been developed as part of the SALTO project, funded by the Horizon Europe programme, and aims to support Europe’s strategic move toward more flexible, autonomous and cost-efficient access to space.

From Manual Control to Fully Autonomous Safety

Unlike traditional systems, which depend on radar tracking and human decisions from the ground, the AFSS is capable of autonomously diagnosing flight status and making real-time termination decisions, with no external infrastructure or operator input.

Designed following a Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) approach, the system integrates real-time diagnostics, impact prediction algorithms, and a deterministic decision engine. Its modular and scalable architecture allows deployment both on ground and on board, adapting to different launcher profiles and mission requirements — including reusable vehicles.

Validated with operational feedback

This is not just a concept. The system has already been built and tested at Andøya Spaceport (Norway), with excellent feedback from real operations — confirming the robustness and readiness of GTD’s software in demanding safety-critical environments. GTD is also actively contributing to the test activities of the SALTO programme, which will include real-flight scenarios with the THEMIS stage developed by ArianeGroup and CNES.

About Acta Astronautica

Acta Astronautica is the official journal of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) and one of the world’s leading scientific publications in the field of space research, technology and engineering. Peer-reviewed and indexed by major scientific databases, it provides an international forum for the latest advances in astronautics and space systems.