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The design of a re-entry vehicle and the analysis of its performance are extremely challenging tasks. The difficulties increase when the understanding of its transient behaviour is sought and grow even further if this transient is affected by uncontrolled phenomena such as the shape change caused by the ablation of the thermal protection material used as heat shield.

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.).

Earth observation by satellites provides essential datasets for a wide range of commercial, societal and scientific applications. Satellites have been observing the state of the environment since the launch of the radiation balance instrument on Explorer 8 in October 1959, and over the last 60 years the range of observation types and applications has grown exponentially. Today operational long-term sustained Earth observation programmes, exemplified by the Copernicus Sentinels, give a wide range of users reliable environmental information services.

Due to the harsh nature of outer space, stringent requirements and performances are required from space systems. Thanks to evolving environmental awareness and the building up of a knowledge base at ESA, we are becoming more wary of the environmental impact of space activities on Earth. Through the GreenSat project, ESA wants to evolve from the assessment to reduction of environmental impact through redesigning an existing satellite mission. The project allows ESA to check the feasibility of implementing ecodesign in the development of space missions.

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In summary, this activity used simulated and analysed parameters for each component to define the requirements for each application. For the flight model, the most important parameters are power consumption, cost and mass of the components. The power consumption and mass of components are acquired from the datasheets. Since space qualification is needed for these components the cost estimation is a difficult task. For example, even for the passive component the price difference between non-qualified, qualifiable and qualified devices is rather high.

The aim of this study was to assess how space travel modifies local sleep episodes in wakefulness during a visuo-motor task and weather this is related to performance. To this end, specific EEG (electroencephalogram) data previously recorded on board the ISS during the Neurospat experiment (AO-2004, 118) were used.