Nebula Public Library

The forthcoming launch of SAOCOM satellites will make multitemporal L band signatures available. To take benefit from this opportunity, this study analyzes and models L band signatures of typical Argentinean crops, and proposes an algorithm able to retrieve soil moisture.

The study aims at investigating technical solutions to design a reliable TT&C system during superior solar conjunctions, to mitigate the detrimental effects of phase and amplitude scintillation, which limit the maneuvers under 5 deg of Sun- Earth-Probe (SEP) angle. After the analysis of data acquired during superior solar conjunctions of Mars Express (MEX) in 2013-2015 and Cassini in 2001-2002, that allowed deriving a mathematical model to be used in the simulations, the current ESA TT&C system has been evaluated, in terms of link performance.

Motivation:
To provide a proof-of-concept demonstration of light rectification in a nano-rectenna as an alternative energy conversation process to semiconductor solar cells based on the photovoltaic effect. For space this alternative energy conversion process could enable applications under different environmental conditions (e.g. temperature ranges, radiation) and offer the advantage of higher theoretical conversion efficiency.
Methodology:
To provide a proof-of-concept demonstration of rectennas working at high frequencies through the development of:

The goal of this study is two-fold. First, to identify and develop a DA- based high-order filter for relative pose estimation. The application considered is the rendezvous with an uncooperative target, modelled after ESA's e.deorbit mission. Secondly, the DA algorithms are implemented on hardware mimicking the limited computational power available in space. The resulting implementation is tested in a processor in the loop (PIL) test-bench using the approach phase of the chaser to the uncooperative target to be estimated.