Motivation: This study aimed to develop promising robotic fabrication methodologies for a fibre-based in-situ robotic fabrication process, for application in a lunar habitat as an alternative to existing additive manufacturing methodologies. Previous work has verified that fibre composite fabrication processes are capable of a high degree of automation and structural performance.

The main goal of this Ariadna study was to determine the radiation hardness of potential future space processors. The AR0 test-chip was used to study the impact of SEUs and SETs on different versions of a hardened processor on UTBB-FDSOI 28nm technology, including DICE flip-flops, and three different hardening level of combinational logic.

Motivation:
To provide a proof-of-concept demonstration of light rectification in a nano-rectenna as an alternative energy conversation process to semiconductor solar cells based on the photovoltaic effect. For space this alternative energy conversion process could enable applications under different environmental conditions (e.g. temperature ranges, radiation) and offer the advantage of higher theoretical conversion efficiency.
Methodology:
To provide a proof-of-concept demonstration of rectennas working at high frequencies through the development of:

Poor sleep on the ISS remains one of the major factors, which affect negatively the performance and psychological resilience of astronauts. The development of novel effective countermeasures for sleep loss, performance decrements and psychological deficits during space missions is needed.

The PERSEO project (PErsonal Radiation Shielding for intErplaetary missiOns) aimed at
studying a wearable innovative radiation protection system to mitigate the effects of
Solar Particle Events (SPE) on astronauts. SPE can be considered as related mainly to
deterministic effects of the cosmic radiation, with hazards to man arising for physical
doses above 2 Gy, when symptoms of the hematopoietic syndrome appear.

Motivation:
To investigate the combination of thermal and photovoltaic effects towards an high efficient photo-to-energy conversion device.
Methodology:
We used numerical simulations based on FEM technique. In particular, we addressed the charge cloud issue in a fully 3D fashion to be able to design and simulate devices as close as possible to reality.
After initial tests based on analytical and 1D numerical techniques, we moved to the 3D device where we investigated the role of cathode-anode

The scientific goal of the study was the investigation of the
electromagnetic and mechanical response of relevant basalt-like
materials after near-field radiation exposure, to assess the performances
of microwave-assisted drilling technology.

The photon enhanced thermionic emitter is a new solar energy harvester suitable for operations at high temperatures. We propose the use of a bio-inspired light-trapping structure to enhance the solar flux collection

The objective of Silky Way is to explore the possibility of using spider dragline silk as sensing element for fibre-based biosensors by transmitting light through silk fibre and monitoring the change in the silk's optical properties induced by biochemical compounds

This study aimed at developing the numerical framework to investigate whether the remote generation of laser filaments from orbital altitude was theoretically feasible and in this case to gain insights on the required initial laser parameters to remotely generate a filament.