This activity aims to identify a pyrotechnics initiator powder compliant with REACH regulation and with extended lifetime up to 20 years.

The pyrotechnics initiators powder ,MIRA is under REACH concern. As of the 21/09/2017, the Ammonium Dichromate which is contained inside MIRA powder, will not be authorised anymore. Thus, Roxel, the manufacturer of MIRA, will not supply anymore the powder. The MIRA is used on-board Ariane5 (igniters, detonators, squibs) and on-board satellite pyro valves. In addition to the REACH issue, it shall be noticed that the lifetime of the MIRA is 12 years maximum. It is therefore mandatory to identify an alternative to replace the MIRA to solve both the REACH and the life time issue. Zirconium Potassium Perchlorate (ZPP) is considered as a good candidate as its lifetime could reach in principle 20 years based on the feedback from military industry (for example Herakles in France). This activity includes the following tasks: - Trade-off of potential candidate powders (including ZPP) - Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) tests on powders to derive the aging test parameters - Manufacturing of modified initiators with new powders - Aging test (simulating 20 years lifetime in space between -5 ?C and 35 ?C, including 6 months at 60 ?C at end of life (enveloping case considering science, Earth observation and telecoms missions) => 2 months at 80 ?C aging test for the manufactured initiators as an example) - Radiation test (total dose of 2.1 MRads representing an enveloping case based on science, Earth observation and telecoms missions) - Reduced reliability test (One shot test with firing at -160 ?C) - Bomb test to demonstrate that the modified initiators can provide the same pressure in a booster charge equipped with propellant powder (GBSe powder or equivalent)