The Space Energetic Materials Working Group expands its membership and scope

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On 25 January 2024, the members of the Space Energetic Materials Working Group (EMWG) convened for the 7th time to discuss the list of chemical substances required for space propellants and explosives. These substances are tracked in terms of their regulatory treatment under EU REACH and other relevant environmental regulations, in order to identify any required substance-specific actions.

The meeting was the first one after incorporation of the Space Hydrazine Task Force (HTF) into the EMWG at the end of 2022, making the EMWG the biggest subgroup of the Materials and Processes Technology Board of the European Space and Components Coordination (ESCC MPTB), including now 26 entities from space industry, suppliers, agencies and consultancy REACHLaw Ltd.

Key discussion points and outcomes of the EMWG-7 meeting were the following:

  • The list of chemical substances tracked has grown from previously 55 to 82, also now including some intermediates required for propellant production.
  • The need for automatic exemption of hydrazine and other liquid propellants (MMH, NTO/MON-x, UDMH) from an assumed REACH authorisation required (not existing today) has been re-confirmed (see 2020 Eurospace News Alert).
  • A concern has been identified due to a recent and surprising update to United Nations (UN) rules concerning the packaging of hydrazine anhydrous (UN number 2029), which prohibits the use of gas receptacles and is due to become effective in January 2027. The space sector was not consulted prior to this change. A joint EMWG effort to find solutions is now underway.
  • The meeting also heard updates on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of space propellants (ESA CleanSpace) and life cycle sustainability of novel monopropellant systems (TU Delft), reflecting the need to look more broadly at the environmental and social impacts when investigating new “greener” solutions.

The Space EMWG now includes the following participants:

  • Industry: Airbus Defence & Space, ArianeGroup, Arianespace, Avio, Beyond Gravity, Dassault Aviation, Evonik, GHC Gerling, Holz & Co. Handels GmbH, Nammo (U.K.) Ltd, OHB System AG, Thales Alenia Space (TAS), Jakusz SpaceTech, Nammo Raufoss AS, Optylio Ltd, Pyroalliance, Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL), T-Minus Engineering, TNO
  • Space Agencies: ESA, ASI, CNES, DLR
  • Observers: European Defence Agency (EDA), Leonardo Company
  • Secretariat: ASD-Eurospace
  • Consultant: REACHLaw Ltd.

The group, which is continuous and meets at least annually and on an ad hoc basis, also remains open to new entities, including further producers of space propellants and explosives.

Further information:

  • 2021 EMWG update, available here
  • 2020 Updated Hydrazine Position Paper, available here
  • 2020 EMWG creation alert, available here

Contacts:

  • Group Coordinator and Key REACH Expert: Tim Becker, Senior Legal Advisor, REACHLaw Ltd., tim.becker@reachlaw.fi; +358 (0)40 773 8143
  • Secretariat: Pierre Lionnet, Research and Managing Director, ASD-EUROSPACE, pierre.lionnet@eurospace.org, +33-(0)1 44 42 00 70