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\t\t\t\t\t\t17\/07\/2024<\/span> A student team testing a new approach to satellite propulsion came to the flattest floor in Europe \u2013 based at ESA\u2019s ESTEC technical centre in the Netherlands \u2013 which is used to reproduce the experience of weightless free-floating in two dimensions instead of three.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n A five-strong team called Coco \u2018Satellite Control based on a Compliant Thrust Vectoring Mechanism\u2019 from the University of Southampton\u00a0came to ESTEC through the ESA Academy Experiments programme.<\/p>\n Here they tested out their novel control system for small satellite manoeuvring and rendezvous.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n After successfully completing all phases of the ESA Experiments programme in a timely manner and with the guidance from ESA Academy and facility experts, team Coco began a two week-long test campaign at ESTEC\u2019s Orbital Robotics Laboratory. \u00a0<\/p>\n The Southampton students made use of the Lab\u2019s ORBIT, Orbital Robotics test Bench for Integrated Technology, which is an ultra-flat 45 sq. m epoxy floor \u2013 deviating less than a millimetre from horizontal over the entire floor.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Kept rigorously clean of dust, ORBIT operates like an air hockey table in reverse: air-bearing platforms can be sent scooting across it without friction; the hovercraft-like test platforms behave as if they were weightless. Arranged around the floor is a motion capture camera system to capture the precise behaviour of these platforms.\u00a0<\/p>\n Such scrutiny is important because weightlessness effects can be counterintuitive \u2013 \u201ceven a very light contact force can trigger large changes in motion, so we always aim for surgical precision,\u201d says Marti Vilella from ESA\u2019s Orbital Robotics team. \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n In the past ORBIT has been used to simulate the capture of orbital debris and the interlocking together of satellite elements. The ORBIT facility is essential for recreating the weightlessness of space on Earth and, with that, validating the design of orbiting systems before they are sent to space.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Coco project\u00a0aims to make small satellites manoeuvrable using fewer thrusters. In order to allow them to move in all directions, it is quite common for satellites to have multiple thrusters studded in all directions.\u00a0By contrast, the project\u2019s \u2018Compliant Thrust Vectoring Mechanism\u2019 involves as few as two thrusters, but able to be rotated by vectoring mechanisms for firing in any direction, while avoiding the friction involved in traditional vectoring mechanisms. The aim is to achieve the same versatile satellite motion while reducing mass, volume and overall costs. \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n The project is the collaborative effort of five students from the University of Southampton; Marcin Badowski, Elena Carulla Ruiz, Nesto Papageorgiou, Pedro Rodriquez L\u00f3pez and Fabrizio Pisani, developed as part of their final year Masters in Spacecraft Engineering.\u00a0<\/p>\n “The campaign at ORL greatly enhanced our skills in performing tests properly and efficiently,” comments team member Marcin Badowski.\u00a0“The assistance from the ESA Academy and ORL was invaluable. From the start, they clearly communicated what we needed to prepare to make the most of our campaign. The state-of-the-art microgravity platforms provided to us enabled our team to meet all our objectives.”\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n ESA Academy Experiments programme\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n ESA Academy Experiments is a programme designed to support student teams throughout the development of their projects, from concept to operation and data analysis. It guides them through industry-standard engineering practices, effective project management, risk mitigation and successful fundraising techniques. Throughout the project, there is a strong emphasis on regular interaction and guidance from professional engineers and scientists through consistent meetings and documentation.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n The outcome of participation is a unique practical experience and training with ESA and its partners, which complements and enhances the academic journey of university students. The programme offers several platforms for teams to carry out their engineering or scientific experiments, providing a comprehensive learning environment. \u00a0<\/p>\n The Experiments programme portfolio includes the Orbital Robotics Laboratory, for which team Coco was selected in February 2024.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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