Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) are more and more being used to solve very different kind of problems on ground and are also suitable to solve Space problems, e.g. visual based tasks for rovers. Embedding a CNN into an operational on-board software (OBSW) or hardware is challenging as the CNNs are composed by hundreds of operations and they request an extensive amount of memory that need to be used efficiently.

Space missions benefit greatly by the capability of the on-board GNC system to adapt rapidly to unknown environment. Autonomous vision-based navigation is a particular technology under implementation in several ESA missions. One of the most interesting applications in that field is the proximity operations around a small asteroid, like those in HERA.
The goal of this activity was to develop a navigation algorithm with the capability to fly over an unknown terrain and achieve better navigation performances than current vision-based techniques based on unknown feature tracking.

The aim of the LIFELINE project was to perform a feasibility study of a Relativistic Positioning System. Nowadays, all GNSS in operation are based on Newtonian physics and rely on global reference frames fixed to Earth. Relativistic effects are treated as deviations that need to be corrected. A practical RPS would consist, for example, in a constellation of satellites, each one broadcasting not only its General Relativity coordinates (proper times or other observables) at emission but also the coordinates that it receives from the other satellites.

The space industry and space agencies have been aware for quite some time of the interest and added value of model-based system engineering (MBSE) in streamlining the design, development, deployment and verification of space systems. There have been many initiatives during the past decades aiming at defining models and tools able to support the various needs of the system engineering process. MBSE is increasingly being used in operational projects and the next step is to use MBSE extensively throughout the system life cycle, across disciplines and throughout the supply chain.

Implementation of the European Train Control System (ETCS) Level 2 requires that a huge amount of physical balises (known as Eurobalises), used to determine each train’s position and direction of motion, be deployed in order to support safe operation of high-speed/high-frequency train services all along the European railway infrastructure. The associated costs are substantial, which motivates the investigation of cheaper technologies.

The main objective of this study 'DETUMBLING – Investigation of Active Detumbling Solutions for Debris Removal' was to propose and investigate a contact-based de-tumbling strategy using a robotic arm. Realistic models were developed for the chaser with robotic-arm, target and composite systems. Specific GNC strategies were developed for the different phases of the mission: robotic-arm deployment synchronisation with the target de-tumbling the composite.

The objective of this document is the presentation of the final synthesis of the activity “HIPNOS”, Development of a representative HW/SW solution for a high-performance processing platform for Active Debris Removal missions. Implement COTS-based solution as Demonstration of the activity.
HIPNOS includes trade-off study of processing technologies, processing space-grade and COTS devices, processing architectures, trade-off for computer vision algorithms, and demonstrator of the selected solution.
The scope and objectives of the activity are:

The population of non-operational objects in the space environment is raising, increasing concern about the safety of operations for current and future space activities. In this respect, space agencies and in particular ESA with its ESA/ADMIN/IPOL (2014) have established policies to mitigate space debris creation. Please refer to the compendium of space debris mitigation standards adopted by states and international organizations, [RD.5], for additional information. This basically implies that satellites in LEO and GEO shall perform an End Of Life (EOL) disposal with a reliability of 90%.

In the context of Earth Observation missions the development of end-to-end simulators (E2ES) has proven to be a useful tool to assess the mission performance and support the consolidation of the technical requirements and conceptual design, as well as to allow end-users assessing the fulfillment of requirements by the mission. For Space Science missions the development of performance simulators is not as extended, and it is usually done externally to the Agency, directly by the scientific community, and mostly for independent instrument chains

The COBRA (COntactless deBRis Action) concept was studied under ESA contract and then internally by ESA, as part of ESA ́s SysNova technology assessment scheme which uses “technology challenges” and competitions to survey a comparatively large number of alternative solutions. The concept was originally proposed by an industrial consortium led by GMV form Spain with Politecnico di Milano and Thales Alenia Space from Italy. The concept came first in response to a challenge for mission concepts and technologies capable of providing a contactless Earth-bound object orbit modification system.