•On-board disturbance sources such as solar array drive mecha

The E.Inspector mission objectives are to:* Image an ESA owned space debris in its current status * Use obtained images for the verification and validation of the e.deorbit or space tug GNC sensorsFollowing a successful ESA internal CDF study, the mission is now proposed to go to phase A to be studied by industry.Several drivers make this mission design challenging:* A possible long and large (delta-V) transfer to the target* Compliance to Space Debris Mitigation guidelines from possibly high altitude* A close RDV while maintaining keep-out zones and ensuring passively safe trajectories* Tr

Future X-ray astronomy missions have identified a need for large area, optical filters with very high transmission in the soft X-ray portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Project D-COLTS de-risked and progressed the development of laser systems required for strontium-based optical frequency standards to be used in the next generation of global positioning systems (GPS) and for precision metrology such as atom interferometry for gravitational field measurements. The laser systems require an increase in TRL in order to support future missions.

Light-trapping helps enhance the light absorption in space solar cells and hence enables their thickness to be reduced to increase the radiation hardness. We have optimised light-trapping structures (LTS) inspired in the diatom frustule and moth’s eyes. As a solar cell reference, we use the commercial 3G30C model from Azure Space Solar Power GmbH. We have developed a physical model to describe the solar cell absorption and derive the efficiency. The optical description relies on the Fourier modal method and the solar cell performance on the detailed balance limit.

For imaging in the thermal infrared spectrum, microbolometer detectors offer an opportunity for cheaper space missions, because of their low size and power consumption and because they don’t require special cooling. They offer the possibility of a constellation of cubesats, for earth observation. The major conclusion of the project is that the microbolometer technology can be suitable for space flight. Based on tests performed in other projects, no show stoppers were identified. A breadboard was built to test and quantify performance.

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.