Preliminary Results from an AFTU Prototype Based on Smart Avionics

This paper presents the development and testing of an Autonomous Flight Termination Unit (AFTU) within the SAFEST project framework. Traditional flight termination systems rely heavily on ground-based infrastructure, which limits flexibility, incurs high costs, and introduces delays due to human decision-making. The proposed AFTU leverages advances in GNSS technology, onboard computational capabilities, and avionics software platforms to enable real-time, autonomous termination decisions. The unit is highly configurable, allowing range safety officers to define mission-specific rules and integrate proprietary software to meet varying national regulations across Europe. The paper focuses on the initial prototype's test campaign that Sener is developing in the frame of the RD EC Horizon Europe programme., detailing the system architecture, test setup, and performance results. It also outlines the roadmap toward flight qualification, emphasizing the system’s adaptability for different launchers and regulatory environments.