Many types of science missions focus on Solar System targets with harsh thermal environments, such as Mars, the Moon, asteroids, comets, and other bodies at the fringes of the Solar System. Traditional spacecraft avionics rely on the storage of electrical energy in electrochemical systems (typically secondary batteries) for covering peak energy demands and periods where no electrical energy is generated (Lunar/Martian/cometary night, etc.).

A GSTP De-Risk Framework with RUAG Space Germany designed and demonstrated a novel, compact and robust sensor head for angular sensors for space mechanisms, using modern and advanced materials and manufacturing methods.

The final performance tests provided evidence in terms of high precision manufacturability of ceramic packages.

The robust design was found to be suitable for the harsh space environment

The objective of this study was to use experimental observations of the ionosphere collected in the past years to assess the performance of climatological ionosphere models, with the focus on scintillation models. This analysis has been performed in order to evaluate the ability of these climatological models to properly support ESA's future needs, to identify weak areas, to propose recommendations for improvements and to implement these improvements whenever possible in existing models.

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In 2009, the Nanosat study recommended a high degree of integration between data handling, AOCS and power distribution. Meanwhile, industry has come with innovate solutions where AOCS sensors are miniaturised and can be progressively introduced fully or partially in the central processor, typically coarse gyros, GNSS receivers or the processing part of the Star Trackers, leaving only optical heads or GNSS antennas to be accommodated as external units.