ESA Concurrent Design Facility completes 70 studies and reviews

The CDF transitioned from an experimental facility to an operational unit in 2000, a year after its inception. Since its foundation, the CDF has performed design studies on space missions, systems and instruments for various ESA programmes. The studies have covered space science, astronomy and planetary exploration missions, Earth observation satellites, telecommunication satellites, International Space Station and human spaceflight activities, as well as launch and (re-)entry vehicles. The CDF has also hosted design sessions for European academic institutions, targeted at both student space projects like the European Student Moon Orbiter project and more general training in concurrent engineering.

The CDF has also been used for anomaly investigation in later space project phases and as a reference model for recent concurrent facilities in academia and industry.

To see an on-line presentation with additional information about the studies performed in the CDF, click on the image at the top of the page or view the Interactive Poster on the CDF home page.