The d.deorbit CDF study identified the robotic gripper mechanism as a key area of technology development. The gripper, which is attached to the tip of the robotic arm, plays a important role in the satellite capture operation as it provides the mechanical and structural interface between the servicer/chaser vehicle and the target satellite during the critical capture and stabilisation operations. Due to the potentially unknown state of the target satellite, the capture operation must be able to handle both cooperative satellites (i.e.

Predictive capability of thermo-elastic analyses for distortion (stability) and strength is not satisfactory, as shown by the recent examples of GAIA, Pleiades, Herschel, Planck, but also with the ongoing work for Bepi Colombo and Solar Orbiter, while the requirements for stability keep getting more challenging. The analytical models are usually not correlated by tests on ground wrt to thermo-elastic predictive capability, hence the performance verification is limited to analyses and unacceptable/unquantified levels of uncertainty remain.

Hybrid infrared detector arrays combing a sensitive diode layer bonded to a CMOS readout circuit are baselined for many current and upcoming Earth Observation missions. This activity aims to develop a breadboard, using a custom ASIC, capable of providing the necessary clocks and bias voltages to operate the detector as well as providing 4-channel video processing and digitisation, leading to a two-chip (Control ASIC + hyrbid detector) detection system. The design will be split to allow separate or combined use of bias and clock generation and video processing and digitization functions.

The definition of the On-board Software Reference Architecture (OSRA) has led to the definition of a main model (the architecture itself, defined in OSRA), supported by other models focusing on specific aspects such as real-time, transaction, bus exchange, etc. or making the link with system such as the Spacecraft Data Base. The space system primes and space software providers have been starting to use various modelling languages (UML or DSLs) and various tools to support their in-house tailored software engineering processes.

Contamination transfer can be influenced by many parameters. Contaminants can be transported by several mechanisms, like outgassing, offgassing, contact, saltation etc. To validate complex models and to quantify effective transfer rates, experimental validation of these models is necessary. For this it is proposed to conduct experiments in a well defined environment with well characterised sample and surface properties, geometries etc. and to devise mitigation strategies by proposing e.g. appropriate engineering measures to limit the contamination transfer.

The study is supposed to provide a wide-spread analysis not only limited to POD concepts, but also investigating the impact of the SSV extension on operational concepts for space users, GNSS software design, and ground operations.

The activity aims to develop techniques (e.g. high sensitivity algorithms, data wipe off for Galileo, optimal data plus pilot combinations etc.) in order to enhance the capability of mass market receivers taking into account their typical resources constraints (limited power, memory, open loop platform etc...). The activity shall investigate the application of these techniques for phase and code tracking down to the detailed design of the techniques for different type of usage and in different type of environment.

Open GNSS signal authentication is one of the main future challenges that the GNSS community will have to face in order to support safety critical applications. One of the major evolutions proposed for the Satellite Based Augmentation Systems (SBAS) systems is to provide authentication services to their users. This evolution is still under debate in international fora, therefore this activity proposes to investigate the issue starting from the consolidation of the spoofing scenarios and the potential anti-spoofing techniques that can be integrated in an airborne navigation system.