Industrial and Scientific Team
A great number of entities spread all over Europe are involved in the Expert project. Scientific institutions perform the experiments according to their competences, while an industrial team is developing the vehicle that serves as a flying wind tunnel for experiments in aerothermodynamics. The experiments are funded mainly through ESA’s Basic Technology Research Programme (TRP) and the vehicle mainly through ESA’s General Support Technology Programme (GSTP).
Scientific community
| Institute | Experiment |
| German Aerospace Center, Institute of Design, Stuttgart, Germany (DLR Stuttgart) | NAP: Ceramic Nose Experiment |
| Hypersonic Technology Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany (HTG) | PL 01: Flush Air Data System(FADS) |
| University of Stuttgart, Institute for Space Systems, Stuttgart, Germany (IRS) | PL 02: Pyrex |
| University of Stuttgart, Institute for Space Systems, Stuttgart, Germany (IRS) | PL 03: Phlux |
| Italian Aerospace Centre, Capua, Italy (CIRA) | PL 04: Natural Transition |
| Von Karman Institute, Rhode-St.-Genese, Belgium (VKI) | PL 05: Roughness Induced TransitionM |
| German Aerospace Center, Institute of Aerodynamics and Flow Technology, Cologne, Germany (DLR Cologne) | PL 06: Flap Efficiency |
| Italian Aerospace Centre, Capua, Italy (CIRA) | PL 07: Shock Wave Boundary Interaction |
| RUAG, Wallisellen, Switzerland (RUAG) | PL 08: Flap Heating |
| University of Stuttgart, Institute for Space Systems, Stuttgart, Germany (IRS) | PL 10: Reentry Spectrometer (RESPECT) |
| Von Karman Institute, Rhode-St.-Genese, Belgium (VKI) | PL 11: Instrumented TPS Junction |
| Alta SpA, Pisa, Italy (ALTA) | PL 12: Base Flow |
| Hypersonic Technology Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany (HTG) | PL 13: Skin Friction |
| Italian Aerospace Centre, Capua, Italy (CIRA) | PL 15: Ultra High Temperature Ceramics |
| INASMET Tecnalia, San Sebastian, Spain (INASMET) | PL 18: Intermetallic Tile |
Industry
The industrial team is led by the prime contractor Thales Alenia Space, Turin, Italy (TAS-I). It coordinates the activities with its subcontractors. The main subcontractors are:
| Company | Responsibility |
| Thales Alenia Space-Italy | Prime Contractor |
| CIRA, Italy | Aerothermodynamics and Payloads Coordination |
| DutchSpace, The Netherlands | Metallic Thermal Protection System |
| Magna Steyr, Austria | Ballast, Avionics Housing |
| MT-Aerospace | Ceramic Flaps |
| Rheinmetall Italy, Italy | Mechanical Ground Support Equipment |
| Sabca/Sonaca S.A., Belgium | Cold Structure |
| Siemens, Austria | Avionics testing equipment |
| Space Application Services, Belgium | Launch and Recovery Operations Support |
| Spacebel, Belgium | Software |
| SRC Makeev Design Bureau, Russia |
Base Thermal Protection System Descent and Landing System, Launch and Recovery |
| Syderal, Switzerland | Avionics |
| TU-Delft, The Netherlands | Aerothermodynamics |
| VKI, Belgium | Aerothermodynamics |
