Background and justification:

Aerodrag is a dominant force acting on spacecraft operating in Very Low Earth orbit (VLEO

Thermal dissipation is a recurrent issue in systems and a real concern in satellite thermal joints for space companies such as Thales Aliena Space (TAS). This problem is addressed with time-consuming and costly tests under simulated space conditions (using TVAC). This study aimed to implement Touch Sensity (TS) solution to detect eventual thermal decoupling in thermal joints via pressure monitoring in order to enhance joint workmanship validation process. Functionalizing joints with TS sensing device enabled a pressure distribution visualization at the interface.

Space application represents a challenge for the lubrication of tribological components from two perspectives – performance and cleanliness. Due to the vacuum of space, and in particular in the presence of sensitive (e.g. optical) components, an extremely low volatility is required to limit evaporation or outgassing, which can lead to lubricant loss and contamination issues.

The In-Orbit Refurbishment and Upgrading Service (IRUS) is a first-of-its-kind refurbishment and upgrading mission concept, proposed by Astroscale and BAE Systems, aligned with ESA’s Circular Economy strategy. The outcome of the systems study was a servicer design, taking elements of Astroscale’s ELSA-M and COSMIC platforms, and a modified, prepared BAE Systems client platform. DHV Technology assessed the potential to refurbish and upgrade solar cells and solar arrays.

This ESA-funded feasibility study explored advanced beam steering antenna technologies to significantly improve the communication capabilities of CubeSats operating in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). CubeSats, due to their compact form factor, are subject to severe size, weight, and power (SWaP) constraints, which pose unique challenges to achieving high-performance, reliable communication links. Addressing these limitations, the project investigated both passive and active beamforming strategies with a focus on system-level integration, power efficiency, and scalability. 

The widespread use of COTS in LEO is constrained by their susceptibility to faults and the difficulty in implementing custom fault detection and recovery actions (FDIR) closely to the system in question. Thus, faults may pass undetected until they propagate outside the COTS system and cause a significant impact on the spacecraft. This delay in recovery actions may contribute to lower in-orbit reliability and availability. The challenge is in supporting designers who wish to protect their systems via recurrent methods and tools which are also cost-effective. 

Direct Radiating Antenna arrays (DRAs) are an emerging solution to offer multiple beam, cellular-like coverage to satellite communication services, evolving to meet the demands for high data-rates, capacity and availability over a flexible area. A DRA array provides several advantages to the satellite: for downlink, an improved Equivalent Isotropically Radiated Power (EIRP), due to the smaller size of the beam; for uplink, an improved Gain-to-noise-Temperature (G/T).

A major concern when dealing with test, validation and in-flight fault diagnosis of On-Board Software, whose complexity is continuously increasing, thanks notably to the increased computational power provided by modern microprocessors, is the level of observability that is provided to software and hardware engineers. In general terms, the more observability is provided to the engineering teams, the easier it is to diagnose an anomaly. Classical observability mechanisms are not enough to provide the needed observability of nowadays avionics systems. 

Solar cells for space applications are typically designed to provide highest performance values at End of Life (EOL) conditions, meaning after a typical to be expected degradation due to particle irradiation and under a constant sun spectrum without perturbation by any atmosphere. Typically, these solar cells are used without modification also for Martian missions. However, due to the fact that the spectral conditions on Mars are significantly different from typical space missions, those solar cells are not at all optimised for providing highest performances.