Using an optimized control will enable not to oversize the CMGs and so to reduce the mission cost, but also the volume and mass, while benefiting of an enhanced agility.

AOCS mode switching is implemented on many spacecraft to perform progressive transition from coarse pointing to fine pointing, or to perform slews, using different combinations of sensors, actuators and control algorithms. This standard architecture is at a cost of a certain complexity, with consequences on development and validation cost.The proposed activity consists in hybridizing different sensors to get a virtual unified sensor. Similarly, the actuators would be merged and controlled through a virtual actuator distributing the command to each of the physical actuators.).

Small satellites have seen a significant growth over the past decade and have emerged as a viable complement to traditional large satellite solutions for many applications. This growth is mainly justified by their short development time and low cost.

With the development of vibration-free AOCS technologies (magnetic bearing reaction wheels, microthrusters), cryocoolers (Stirling, Pulse Tube) will become the main source of microvibrations. To overcome this difficulty and cope with missions (Science and Earth Observation) that have more and more stringent pointing requirements, it is necessary to develop alternate cooling solution or to adapt current technologies to generate no mechanical disturbances.

Lessons learnt on the use of grease lubricants for applications in space mechanisms confirm their high chemical stability on long-term storage (LTS), due to intrinsic inertness of their fluorocarbon-based components which could be affected only via catalytic effect of metal compounds. What is observed even in widely used space-qualified greases is physical delamination leading to separation of the base oil and the solid filler. This delamination affects the lubricant?s viscosity and dielectric properties.

Currently EO missions are operated in S/X-Band with payload data in X-Band. New EO missions will have payload data in K-Band and TTC still in S-Band. In the long term TTC will be moved to X-Band still keeping payload data in K-Band. Presently only US suppliers are able to provide antenna radomes operating over different frequency bands. It is intended to develop an European alternative to US suppliers in the domain of high/multi-frequency application like the one needed for future Earth Observation missions.