Implemented OSIP ideas — April 2021
ESA's Open Space Innovation Platform (OSIP) seeks novel ideas for new space research activities. Campaigns and Channels invite solutions to specific problems or ideas on more general topics, with those run by Discovery & Preparation, including the Open Discovery Ideas Channel, specifically looking for ideas that could be implemented as system studies, early technology developments, or PhD or postdoc research co-funded by ESA and a university.
Open Discovery Ideas Channel
In April 2021, the following ideas were implemented through the Open Discovery Ideas Channel.
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Foamed construction material for space base
Université Gustave Eiffel
Building permanent structures on the Moon would be astronomically expensive if we used materials from Earth. For a few years, scientists have been investigating how to use lunar soil to build structures. This co-funded research topic will in particular explore the possibility of using the lunar soil to produce foam materials. The advantages of foams is that they are light, insulating and their mechanical strength may be compatible with construction requirements, especially on the Moon where gravity is so weak.
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Nanoresonator-based sensors for space
Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia
Monitoring the health of astronauts in space is crucial due to the adverse conditions they face, including a possible unhealthy atmosphere. Chemical and biological detection systems in space typically rely on 'microscale resonators'. This co-funded research project will create customised detection systems using 'nanoscale resonators', or 'nanoresonators'; these overcome the limitations of detectors based on microscale technology and perform better overall.
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Towards the next generation of reinforced polymer parts produced by laser sintering for space applications
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
Fibre composites are widely used in space technologies such as antennas, solar arrays and support structures because of their excellent mechanical properties, good thermal dimensional stability and high strength to weight ratio. In the coming years, the space industry will use additive manufacturing (3D printing) more and more to produce fibre composite materials which are lightweight, cheaper to produce, and perform well. This co-funded research project will investigate a new method of producing fibre composites for space applications using a type of 3D printing called laser sintering.
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A novel machine learning based perspective to identify and model ocean precursors to extreme hurricane development
University of Valencia
An unusually warm ocean can 'fuel' the atmosphere with more energy, leading to intense storms. But little progress has been made in improving the representation of ocean conditions in models that predict hurricane intensity. This co-funded research project will combine data on the ocean with data on hurricanes to identify relationships between the two in locations where hurricanes originatesand propose a new metric as a 'severity score' in anticipation of a storm or hurricane developing. This will improve hurricane prediction as well as future space weather missions.
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Cooperative GNSS positioning in space
Politecnico di Torino
Satellite navigation systems help us navigate our way around Earth, but what if they could also help us navigate in space? This is not an easy undertaking, but it could be improved by networking two or more signal receivers, one of which has better visibility of a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) satellite. For example, a lunar lander approaching the Moon could be aided by one or more GNSS-equipped CubeSat orbiters. This co-funded research project will investigate this idea further.
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Sub terahertz geodesic lens antenna for imaging system
University of Bordeaux
Terahertz waves (with wavelength between microwave and infrared) have been demonstrated to be an efficient tool for the non-destructive testing of various materials. But they remain time-consuming and complex to use, particularly for curved parts. The idea behind this early technology development project is to use a near field focusing geodesic lens, or a variant called the water drop lens, to enhance their performance.
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Modular micropump fluidic systems: for systems requiring ultrareliability, high performance and a compact design
University of Limerick
Read about this public idea in OSIP
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Super absorbing polymers for very flexible radiation shielding of human tissues
Ghent University
Astronauts are exposed to high levels of space radiation, especially when out on a spacewalk. Past ESA projects have developed spacesuits that shield the most radiation-sensitive parts of the body, and these have been tested on board the ISS. During testing, risks and challenges were identified that this co-funded research project aims to address, including the danger of water leakage, uneven water distribution and bulkiness. The project will address these issues by replacing the liquid water with superabsorbent polymers that can absorb several hundred times their own weight in water.
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On-board fault diagnosis and fault-tolerant G&C for VTVL vehicles
German Aerospace Center (DLR)
Vertical Take-off Vertical Landing (VTVL) Reusable Launch Vehicles (RLVs) reduce development resources and increase the accessibility of space. Nevertheless, they are not currently sufficiently reliable, safe or easy to operate. This co-funded research project will apply Fault Detection and Diagnosis (FDD), Fault-Tolerant Control (FTC) and Fault-Tolerant Guidance (FTG) methods to improve the reliability and safety of VTVL.
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Off-Earth Manufacturing and Construction
The following ideas were implemented through the OSIP Off-Earth Manufacturing and Construction Campaign.
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Modular robotic system for lunar applications
Hassell
Robots are very useful and durable in extreme environments, making them vital for helping astronauts during space missions. For the next stage of lunar exploration, it is essential to redesign a more complete and multifunctional robotic system that can support astronauts during construction, exploration, research and everyday life. Modular technology has already been used in space, for example on the International Space Station. This early technology development project aims to create a new framework for modular robots that can be reconfigured for complex tasks and enhanced functionality.
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Extraterrestrial robotic construction with found materials
ETH Zürich
Read about this public idea in OSIP
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Model-Based System Engineering (MBSE)
The following idea was implemented through the OSIP Model-Based System Engineering Campaign.
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Application of MBSE to reverse-engineer OPS-SAT and improve OPS-SAT2
Samares Engineering and OHB
Read about this public idea in OSIP
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