Related papers: TupperSats: Thinking Inside the Box for Space Syst…
This document presents the study conducted during the European Moon Rover System Pre-Phase A project, in which we have developed a lunar rover system, with a modular approach, capable of carrying out different missions with different…
In order for off-Earth top surface structures built from regolith to protect astronauts from radiation, they need to be several meters thick. Technical University Delft (TUD) proposes to excavate into the ground to create subsurface…
Recently, we witnessed how the synergy of small satellite technology and solar sailing propulsion enables new missions. Together, small satellites with lightweight instruments and solar sails offer affordable access to deep regions of the…
The teaching innovation project SpaceRaceEdu: development of an educational multiplayer video game for self-study and self-assessment has been carried out under the INNOVA call of the Autonomous University of Madrid during the 2022-2023…
Historically, materials such as lead, tungsten, and iron have been used in spacecraft to shield scientific detectors from Cosmic Rays. These materials work well when reentry to Earth is not an issue. The typical strategy is to have a…
The TU Delft Astrodynamics Toolbox (Tudat) is a free open-source software suite for research and education in astrodynamics. Initially focused on numerical simulations of orbital dynamics and state estimation, it enables combining optical…
An increase in satellite application has skyrocketed the number of satellites, especially in the low earth orbit (LEO). The major concern today is that these satellites become debris after the end of life, negatively affecting the space…
This paper details our journey in designing and selecting a suitable application sandboxing mechanism for a satellite under development, with a focus on small satellites. Central to our study is the development of selection criteria for…
A method and facilities for delivering payload and people into outer space are presented. This method uses, in general, engines located on a planetary surface. The installation consists of a space apparatus, power drive stations, which…
We have begun a program of high altitude ballooning at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore. Recent advances in balloons as well as in electronics have made possible scientific payloads at costs accessible to university…
The testing of atmosphere-breathing electric propulsion intakes is an important step in the development of functional propulsion systems which provide sustained drag compensation in very low Earth orbits. To make satellite operations more…
Recent advances in miniaturization and commercial availability of critical satellite subsystems and detector technology have made small satellites (SmallSats, including CubeSats) an attractive, low-cost potential solution for space weather…
The Breakthrough Initiatives Project Starshot proposes to send a gram-scale laser driven spacecraft to the Alpha Centauri system in a 20 year mission travelling at v=0.2c. One of the challenges of this mission as the spacecraft moves…
The commercial SmallSat industry is booming and has developed numerous low-cost, capable satellite buses. SmallSats can be used as vehicles for technology development or to host science missions. Missions hosted on SmallSats can answer…
Research in the area of Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) is hampered by the lack of available project environments in which to explore open challenges and to propose and rigorously evaluate solutions. In this "New Ideas and Emerging Results"…
Exploration of terrestrial planets such as Mars are conducted using orbiters, landers and rovers. Cameras and instruments onboard orbiters have enabled global mapping of Mars at low spatial resolution. Landers and rovers such as the Mars…
Training deep learning models is a repetitive and resource-intensive process. Data scientists often train several models before landing on a set of parameters (e.g., hyper-parameter tuning) and model architecture (e.g., neural architecture…
Orbital edge computing reduces the data transmission needs of Earth observation satellites by processing sensor data on-board, allowing near-real-time insights while minimizing downlink costs. However, current orbital edge computing…
Spacecraft development costs remain high despite falling launch costs, in part because Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) tools carry the complexity of the object-oriented programming paradigm: tightly coupled data and logic, mutable…
There is growing interest towards the use of AI directly onboard satellites for quick analysis and rapid response to critical events such as natural disasters. This paper presents a blueprint to the mission designer for the development of a…