Nebula Public Library

The project “Novel estimation of shallow water bathymetry using ICESat-2 laser altimetry, signal processing and machine learning and Sentinel-2 optical data in a highly automated approach” was funded under the European Space Agencies’ Open Space Innovation Platform (OSIP). The overall objective was to build a self-calibrating and efficient bathymetry mapping system by leveraging accurate and consistent ICESat-2 laser altimeter data as a calibration source for high-resolution Copernicus Sentinel-2 based water depth retrievals.

The Asteroid Impact Mission (AIM) is part of the Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment (AIDA). The intention of AIDA is to send two spacecraft, AIM and Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) to the binary asteroid 65803 Didymos, to investigate the kinetic effects of crashing an impactor spacecraft into the smaller body of the binary asteroid, hereafter called Didymoon. The large body is called Didymain. Ultimately the mission hopes to test whether a spacecraft could successfully deflect an asteroid on collision course with Earth.

In conclusion this Phase A-B1 study contract has provided:
• Confirmation that the mission concept described in phase 0 is feasible and relevant
• Consolidation of mission objectives and mission requirements
• An updated mission architecture and system design solving many of the problem areas identified in Phase 0
• A roadmap for distribution of relevant documentation and tools to experimenters throughout the project