New architecture/design of the receiver processing chain can contribute in improving the performance. Recent increases in the computational power of computers and digital signal processors have made possible novel signal tracking techniques in GNSS receivers, so that both the Signal processing and the Navigation processing can be optimised or even combined in to one single estimation algorithm.

Scope of the MImOSA2 (Monitoring Ionosphere Over South America to support high precision applications) study was to support high-precision GNSS based applications in South America, analysing, through an original method, GNSS data acquired by a dense network of 50 Hz receivers to assess possible improvements on positioning accuracy when ionospheric degradation is taken into account.

Background and justification:

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 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

Increasing complexity of Software Systems necessitates the focus on system function and behaviour, abstracting from lower-level implementation details of the programming languages. Modelling languages start to find their way into the development process, from requirements specification and system-software co-engineering, up to operations, through development and verification. Use of models increases the level of specification formality and provides a possibility for model simulation and formal analysis to verify certain aspects of the system from the early lifecycle phases.

A shock attenuation device improving the filtering efficiency of the current shock attenuator devices has been developed keeping the load capability domain, the stiffness linearity and r

The use of helicon sources as thrusters for space propulsion has been envisaged as a robust, scalable, reliable and long-life device. The Helicon Plasma Thruster (HPT) is presented as a potentially durable, throttlable and high thrust-to-power ratio device, with intermediate specific impulse and competitive thrust efficiency.

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.