In the conventional system approach, image stability requirements are met constraining the platform and instruments to a very quiet thermo-mechanical environment. Major limitations come from the difficulties to develop low noise reaction wheels and the huge mass penalty of a cold gas micropropulsion solution. For the GEO-HR mission, which targets 6-10 m spatial resolution from GEO, an active line of sight control is considered as a candidate solution.

Along 20 years of life sciences research in space, several full size microscopes were developed (phase contrast, fluorescence analysis, and recently the Advanced Light Microscope from NASA) to be used on board the ISS. However, such bulky systems appeared to prevent a versatile use and limit the potential of experiments that can be performed today on ground. In particular, none of them can be accommodated on an on board centrifuge to perform experiments in microgravity and at various G level. And for most of them, the samples are fixed on a glass slide and allow only static analyses.

Novel GNC systems are based on on-board real-time optimized GNC systems to enable safe ascent, agile manoeuvring as well as ultraprecise stage landing on ships and ground. Modern space transportation and future exploration systems will be re-usable to contribute in reducing mission costs, while improving reliability, safety and performance. This activity shall establish novel GNC architectures and systems implementing Real-time Optimised GNC system for reliable and fault tolerant ascent flight, precise orbital guidance and control as well as for precision entry descent and landing.

The ESA Deep Space Network consists of three 35m beam waveguide antennas located around the globe. The 35m beam waveguide antennas employ an X-Band feed covering the Deep Space uplink band near 7.2 GHz and down-link band near 8.45 GHz. Simultaneous uplink commanding at 20 kW and low noise reception (Generation #2) is supported. In order to increase the transmit power capability of ESA Deep Space antennas it is currently considered to add a new high power feed and associated 80 kW High Power Amplifier.

State-of-the-art planetary science missions have demanding requirements regarding orbit knowledge prediction ; for example, for ExoMars TGO, the prediction requirement is around 100m (cross track) and 10s (along track) 2 weeks in advance during the science phase. EnVision M5 candidate mission has similar requirement with a 300 m cross-track and 10s along-track orbit knowledge prediction up to 2 weeks in advance of a given pass. Aerobraking operations also require accurate orbit determination e.g.