ESA Science & Technology - Publication Archive

Low power deep space communication technology is an enabling technology for the Interstellar Heliopause Probe Technology Reference Study. Radio wave communication capable of performing this task exists today, but they are heavy and require significant electrical power. Optical communication technology on the other hand is still immature. This short document summarizes the results of a communication subsystem trade performed by Kayser-Threde, as part of the Interstellar Heliopause Probe system design study [Leipold05, Leipold06]. The objective was to identify and investigate optical and radio wave deep space communication systems capable of delivering the required performance of the Interstellar Heliopause Probe TRS.

This document provides an overview of the Interstellar Heliopause Probe system design study. The Interstellar Heliopause Probe (IHP) is one of the Technology Reference Studies (TRS) introduced by the Science Payload & Advanced Concepts Office (SCI-A) at ESA. The overall purpose of the TRSs is to focus the development of strategically important technologies that are of likely relevance to potential future science missions. This is accomplished through the study of technologically demanding and scientifically interesting missions, which are currently not part of the ESA science programme. The TRSs subsequently act as a reference for possible future technology development activities. This study overview summarizes the IHP system design study and payload assessment study performed by, respectively, Kayser-Threde [Leipold05], and Cosine Research [Kraft05]. The results of this study have also been presented at a number of conferences and published in several journals (see section 8 for an overview).

This document has been prepared to give a concise overview of the studies that have been performed in the framework of the Jovian related Technology Reference Studies. The goal of these studies is the identification of technologies that are required to enable possible low resource missions to the Jovian System. These activities are subdivided in three main topics:

• The Jovian Minisat Explorer (JME): The exploration of Europa and the Jovian System
• The Jupiter Entry Probe (JEP): In situ exploration of the Jovian atmosphere up to 100 bar
• The Jovian System Explorer (JSE): Study of the Jovian magnetosphere and the Jovian System

The Cross-scale TRS is one of ESA's Technology Reference Studies. The purpose of the TRSs is to provide a focus for the development of strategically important technologies that are of likely relevance for future scientific missions. This is accomplished through the study of several technologically demanding and scientifically interesting missions, which are not part of the ESA science programme. The TRSs subsequently act as a reference for possible future technology development activities. The TRSs will not interfere with (or replace) the standard ESA mission selection process.

The purpose of this preliminary payload resources document is to translate the typical science requirements into a payload resource budget, which is required for the first part of the system design of the Cross-scale TRS.

The document is (currently) an open document and regular updates, primarily refinements, are expected. Particularly, iterative steps with industrial study partners and the ESA TRS study manager are foreseen. Revisions will be published, as required, at the start of as well as during the system design. This document will be evolved into a straw man Payload Definition Document.

The Cross-scale TRS is one of ESA's Technology Reference Studies. The purpose of the TRSs is to provide a focus for the development of strategically important technologies that are of likely relevance for future scientific missions. This is accomplished through the study of several technologically demanding and scientifically interesting missions, which are not part of the ESA science programme. The TRSs subsequently act as a reference for possible future technology development activities. The TRSs will not interfere with (or replace) the standard ESA mission selection process.

The purpose of the mission requirements document is to provide level 1 (mission) requirements for the Cross-scale TRS system design study.

The ESA Concurrent Design Facility (CDF) was requested and financed by ESA/ESTEC/SCIAM to carry out the assessment study of a Far-InfraRed Interferometer Technology Reference Study (FIRI). The main science objective is to perform measurements at significantly improved angular resolution obtainable with today's IR telescopes (i.e. sub-arcsec resolution) by using space Interferometry. The overall mission goals were to study the following:

• Formation and evolution of stars
• Formation of planetary systems and planet detection
• Formation and evolution of galaxies

The objectives of the study were to assess the feasibility of a Far-InfraRed Michelson Interferometer mission and the identification of the critical technology in order to define a Technology Development Plan with particular emphasis on the following:

• To assess the feasibility of a far-infrared Michelson interferometer based on a single spacecraft
• To design the mission
• To identify the critical technologies and define their development plan
• To make cost, risk and programmatics analysis for the mission and for the technology development plan

This report is the summary of the work done in the DARWIN System Assessment Study and presents its main results: selected concept and architecture, preliminary design, main performance at functional and interface levels. This study has spanned around 12 months, featuring:

• a Phase 1 devoted to requirements review and architecture trade-of: it has led to the selection of the non planar arrangement
• a Phase 2 devoted to preliminary design: together with the consolidation of the selected arrangement, it has produced the payload and spacecraft preliminary design, including performance budgets

The Cross-scale TRS is one of ESA's Technology Reference Studies. The purpose of the TRSs is to provide a focus for the development of strategically important technologies that are of likely relevance for future scientific missions. This is accomplished through the study of several technologically demanding and scientifically interesting missions, which are not part of the ESA science programme. The TRSs subsequently act as a reference for possible future technology development activities. The TRSs will not interfere with (or replace) the standard ESA mission selection process.

Over the last few years, due to a diminishing purchasing power and difficulties in increasing the available budget, cost effectiveness has become a great concern within ESA. Indeed, missions cost have noticeably increased (especially for science missions) and many initiatives have been undertaken to control and limit the expenditure by streamlining processes and resources, especially in order to implement a mission within a more restrictive budget.

In addition, the scientific community requirements are more and more challenging: demanding mission objectives lead to more complex mission concepts. Moreover, a quicker response time from approval to launch would be desirable, whilst keeping a very high overall level of reliability.

The main objective of this study is to review the application of recurring service modules as a potential answer to the challenges listed above.

CDF Study Report: CDF-46(A)

The ESA Concurrent Design Facility (CDF) was requested and financed by ESA/ESTEC/SCIAM to carry out a feasibility study for an optical-near-infrared wide field imager (WFI). Such a mission would search for Type Ia supernovae over a given redshift range with optical and near infrared wavelength coverage. The overall aim of the mission would be to use supernova observations to model the changing rate of expansion of the universe and to determine the contributions of decelerating and accelerating energies such as the mass density and dark energy density. This model could be constructed using a Hubble diagram (redshift vs. magnitude) populated with supernovae measurements. This study is the first step in the feasibility assessment of a technology reference mission and a follow-on phase-A industrial study is foreseen for the payload, where most of the technology development is needed.

Chronology is the key to understanding climatically and tectonically driven changes on Mars. The objective of the present proposal was to assess the potential of in-situ Martian sediment dating using luminescence techniques. The work was divided into two parts:

a) Work package 1 : Review and optimisation of appropriate techniques and instrumentation
b) Work package 2 : Laboratory measurements and proposals for instrumentation.

The aim of the activity was to develop and test an Instrumented Mole System (IMS) - i.e. a system able to deploy a mobile penetrometer carrying a payload of sensors for sub-surface measurements - to be mounted on a Planetary Lander.

This IMS could potentially be used on future planetary missions such as those for the exploration of the surface of Mercury or on other planets.

The objective of the DARWIN System Assessment Study is the definition of the overall architecture and the preliminary design of the DARWIN mission. This includes an operational orbit at the Second Lagrange Point of the Sun-Earth system (L2), a launch and transfer scenario, and a spacecraft and payload design which ensure that the mission requirements can be fulfilled. The specifications of the subsystems have to be derived, critical items and drivers have to be identified, and required technology development activities have to be proposed in order to allow for establishing a roadmap towards the verification of the science performance feasibility. The DARWIN System Assessment Study is divided into two phases. Phase 1 is concerned with a review and trade-off of different concepts concerning the payload, the space segment, and the mission. Phase 2 is devoted to a detailed design of the payload and the space segment, as well with a consolidated mission design. A third phase is foreseen for design consolidation.

Some examples of space-borne applications that require improvements in detector technology compared with conventional Si and Ge designs are described. Properties of compound semiconductors are noted, and a range of different detector developments are briefly reviewed. Material fabrication improvements for several compound semiconductors have resulted in near Fano-limited performance.

The X-Ray Observatory (XRO), also known as XEUS (X-Ray Evolving-Universe Spectroscopy), is one of the potential future missions identified in the framework of the ESA Call for Themes issued in April 2004 [RD-CV1525].

A summary of the study evolution has been provided in the previous XRO status report [RSStRep] issued at the end of March 2006. The work of ESA and JAXA on the revised mission scenario has progressed further over the past 6 months, including internal as well as industrial activities and dedicated technology developments.

Paper IAC-06-A3.1.05, 57th International Astronautical Congress, Valencia, Spain, 2-6 October 2006.

In response to ESA's call for space science themes in the frame of Cosmic Vision 2015-2025, the scientific community identified a Far Infrared mission with very high spatial resolution as a potential future science mission for Europe. A future far infrared mission would typically work at wavelengths between 25-300 microns and combine high sensitivity with an angular resolution better than 1 arcsecond at the shortest wavelengths. Such requirements would call for very large telescope diameters or for an interferometer based design.

To investigate the feasibility of this potential future mission the Science Payload & Advanced Concepts Office (SCI-A) at ESA initiated a Far Infrared Interferometer (FIRI) Technology Reference Study (TRS). The selected baseline concept for this study is a single spacecraft Michelson interferometer (i.e. pupil plane recombination) with two light collecting telescopes and a central hub beam combiner, all cryogenically cooled. To enable such a mission concept many innovative design solutions and technology developments would be required in the area of cryogenics, mechanisms and optics.

In this paper an overview of the result of the internal feasibility study of the FIRI concept will be provided. Specific emphasis is on critical subsystems and on required future technology development activities.

Purpose of the HICoPS paper study, described in this summary, is a combination of a miniature rover and a set of miniaturised scientific experiments for planetary research. The instrumentation allows to analyse a planet with a broad spectrum of very efficient techniques. The rover Nanokhod, based on a proposal by Dr. Rudolf Rieder (MPCh Mainz) and vH&S, has undergone several evolutionary design steps in the past 10 years. This rover has the ability to carry a full set of miniaturised scientific instruments inside a levered rotationally mounted miniature compartment (Payload Cab). Prior to HICoPS, there were mainly two precursing studies: GIPF and MRP. The rover has been completely redesigned by vH&S within theMRP (Mercury Robotic Payload) study contract. GIPF (Geochemistry Intrument Package Facility) describes a full set of scientific instrumentation for remote geochemistry analysis in planetary research. GIPF and MRP developments have been performed in parallel, with the final integration in mind, which is now commenced by the HICoPS activity.

Paper IAC-06-A3.1.04, 57th International Astronautical Congress, Valencia, Spain, 2-6 October 2006.

In response to ESA's call for space science themes in the frame of Cosmic Vision 2015-2025, the scientific community identified a Wide-Field Optical and Near Infrared Imager as a potential future science mission for Europe. Such a mission would search for Type Ia supernovae at low redshift in the optical and near infrared part of the spectrum with the aim to measure the changing rate of expansion of the universe and to determine the contributions of decelerating and accelerating energies such as the mass density, the vacuum energy density and other yet to be studied dark energies. To investigate the feasibility of this potential future mission the Science Payload & Advanced Concepts Office (SCI-A) at ESA initiated the Wide Field Imager (WFI) Technology Reference Study (TRS). The WFI would have a 2 m class telescope, a 1 square degree field of view imaging camera and a low-resolution integral field spectrometer. This paper summarizes the results of this ESA internal feasibility study of the WFI. The paper focuses on the spacecraft design and the critical subsystems and provides an overview of required technology development activities for such a mission.

This document provides an overview of the Venus Entry Probe system design study. The Venus Entry Probe is one of ESA's Technology Reference Studies (TRS), which provide a focus for the development of strategically important technologies that are of likely relevance for future scientific missions [Falkner05, Peacock06]. This is accomplished through the study of several technologically demanding and scientifically interesting mission concepts, which are not part of the ESA science programme. The TRSs subsequently act as a reference for possible future technology development activities.