The objective of the project was to define, design and validate data mining algorithms that enable advanced or autonomous medical monitoring and diagnostics for astronauts, exploiting standard medical data available from health and sanitary structures.

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 approach of the ‘Interplanetary Meteoroid Environment for eXploration’ (IMEX) project is to build a model of meteoroid streams throughout the inner solar system. Our motivation for this model is the impact hazard to spacecraft. An understanding of the interplanetary environment, including the dust environment, is crucial for the planning of spacecraft missions in the inner solar system. Particles striking a spacecraft with high velocities can cause damage leading to the impairment or even failure of the spacecraft or its subsystems.

The objective of the APPS study has been to investigate the feasibility, architectural and system design, and potential performance of a non-nuclear system whose single goal is to provide survival and servicing support to a planetary payload element, in order to ensure its operations despite the absence of sunlight for extended periods. The principle aim is to advance concepts and overall approaches to meet this goal, and to provide a framework for the future development of key technologies.

Gaps in existing radiation environment and effects standards adversely affect human spaceflight developments. The most important drivers in the domain of interplanetary and planetary radiation environments were investigated, identifying appropriate data sources and modelling methods to address the needs of future interplanetary manned mission design and operation.

The NEMS – Near-Earth Exploration Minimum System internal ESA study, conducted at ESA's Concurrent Design Facility (CDF) between March and April 2011 aimed at investigating and reporting on the main trade-offs, system drivers and critical risk areas associated with even the most basic human exploration beyond Earth-Moon system. The (purely theoretical) mission scenario addressed the transfer a crew of 3 astronauts from the Earth to an accessible Near-Earth Asteroid (NEA) and their safe return to Earth before 2030. Dust contamination was identified as a major concern.

The APPS study work focusses on the critical technologies required to provide both servicing and support functions to a seismometer payload located on the lunar surface. Although the baseline payload (and by extension the reference mission) has specific requirements, the technology focus of the study allows the outputs to be of broader application to exploration missions to the moon and beyond.

This document describes the activities and the findings performed in the frame of the ODET-μ (Optical DETection in Microfluidics) project by Kayser Italia, a SME enterprise.
In this project, technologies for the integration of optical components were reviewed to define the “state of the art” in the field of integrated optics for detection on Lab On a Chip devices (LoCs).
LoCs are microfluidics based systems aiming at the miniaturization onto a single substrate (chip) of several functionalities that typically would require an entire biological laboratory.

The main scope of this activity is to carry out preparatory analysis in order to lay the groundwork for the ESA’s future activities. In view of this, a sampling/handling/analysing chain must be designed and all the critical aspects should be underlined in view of future missions.

A study on Deep Space Navigation with Pulsars has been carried out in accordance with ESA Statement of Work Reference: TEC-ETN/2011.90, Issue 1, Revision 2. The UK National Physical Laboratory (NPL) was the prime contractor with University of Leicester (UL) as a sub-contractor.