• Home
  • Systems & Services
  • International Research
  • Products
  • News
  • Company
  • Careers
  • Job Alerts
  • Search

Back

News

Battery-less, low-temperature technologies to explore planetary destinations – ESA project kicked-off

13/10/17

  • In space, electronics are exposed to extreme temperatures. There is particular interest in visiting, for instance, areas on the Moon that can have temperatures as low as -248 Celsius.

    At present, most of the military specifications of electronic equipment are rated for operation only down to -55 degrees Celsius, and in particular batteries are very sensitive to cold temperatures, requiring heating that is energy-consuming and needs 3 energy conversion steps at partial efficiency. Another approach to heating the components in a spacecraft are radioisotope heaters, which, on the other hand have faced limited supply and restrictions in the past.

    For the protection against periods of low-level temperature, the energy accumulated from periods of high temperature in certain subsystems could be used, as well as novel technologies such as low temperature electronics, flywheels and even super-capacitors and superconductors, which thrive in low-temperature environments.

    The European Space Agency has awarded Space Applications Services a contract to perform the Battery-less Low Temperature Avionics and Systems Study (BLTAS) to study the target environments, establish a database of these technologies, and create a feasible architecture design using the LUnar Volatiles Mobile Instrumentation (LUVMI) Rover as a case study candidate. The project will soon invite industry in ESA countries to describe their related novel technologies so that they can be used in future missions.

    This project leverages the expertise of the Future Projects and Exploration, and the Avionics and Embedded Systems teams at Space Applications Services (Belgium), the electronics systems expertise of IMEC (Belgium) and the thermal design research experience of the Technical University of Munich (Germany).

  • Share

Follow

  • Science Services

    The company can provide an end-to-end science and operations management service for multi-disciplinary, complex, unique, international and high value systems.

    Read more

  • Ground & Software Systems

    Space Applications Services takes responsibility for the complete project life-cycle from establishing customer needs, designing and selecting the most appropriate technology.

    Read more

  • Technologies Applications & Research

    We design and develop robotic and mechatronic systems for use in space. These systems are targeted to be used by astronauts within a pressurised environment, in orbit or on planetary surfaces.

    Read more

  • YAMCS

    Yamcs Suite is a general Mission Control System framework. It has been developed around the criteria of flexibility and open source code to innovate.

    Read more

  • Sensoric Arm Master - SAM

    With the Sensoric Arm Master, robot arm control is intuitive, the robot arm moves as your arm moves and the operator feels the forces that the robot arm senses increasing the feeling of presence.

    read more

  • Virtual Reality Stimulator - VRS

    VRS is a complete framework designed for cognitive and neurophysiology investigations using Virtual Reality and multimedia.

    Read more

  • Operations Services

    Space Applications Services provides highly qualified and experienced personnel to prepare for, plan and execute real-time operating in control centres and facilities.

    Read more

  • Automated Service Builder - ASB

    ASB is a platform and application agnostic solution for implementing complex processing chains over globally distributed processing and data resources. ASB provides a “low coding” solution to develop a data processing facility based on orchestrated workflows.

    Read more

  • Integration Services

    Space Applications Services supports the operation of complex multi-disciplinary systems requiring highly qualified expert teams to integrate the data, plan and schedule the activities and ensure that safety is maintained as well as achieving the overall goals. The comany also develops the supporting tools needed for cost effective operation.

    Read more

  • Training Services

    Space Applications Services ensures that client organisations, client training departments or targeted trainees achieve highly efficient, well-prepared and mission-enabling training.

    Read more

  • Video Management Unit - VMU

    The VMU is a generic COTS-based rugged video and data processor, originally developed as an upgrade for ESA’s Fluid Science Lab (FSL) on ISS Columbus, and designed to manage state-of-the-art scientific cameras and sensors.

    Read more

  • ICE Cubes Service

    The ICE Cubes Service is a simple and cost-effective way for your experiment or technology to fly onboard the International Space Station.

    Discover the website

  • Engineering Services

    The company has a complete system engineering capability for complex, multi-disciplinary and specialist systems for national and international customers.

    Read more

  • Rugged Ethernet Gateway - REG

    The REG is a small to medium form factor rugged Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) switch system optimized for demanding size, weight and power (SWaP) constraints of embedded space computer network systems applications.

    Read more

Europe

    • Space Applications
      Services NV/SA
    • Leuvensesteenweg 325

    • 1932 Sint-Stevens-Woluwe

    • (Brussels Area)

    • Belgium

    • +32 (0)2 721 54 84

    • info@spaceapplications.com
    • jobs@spaceapplications.com
    • www.icecubesservice.com
    • Registration Number

      0431.666.826

    • 4 km from Brussels National Airport
      12 km from Brussels Midi Train Station

    • Point of Contact
      in the Netherlands
    • Research & Development Office
      Space Applications Services

    • Huygensstraat 34

    • Space Business Park

    • 2201 DK Noordwijk (ZH)

    • The Netherlands

    • +31 71 781 7812

USA

    • Aerospace Applications
      North America Inc.
    • 16850 Saturn Ln, Ste 100

    • Houston, TX 77058

    • United States of America

    • +1 832 ‐ 470.1833

    • info@aerospaceapplications-na.com
    • aerospaceapplications-na.com

Credit ESA/NASA for some images

{{'POLITIQUE_DE_CONFIDENTIALITE' | translate}} Legal Disclaimer

POWERED BY

{{'RESULTAT' | translate}} {{'RESULTATS' | translate}} {{'POUR' | translate}}

We will email you new jobs

{{'PRENOM_INVALIDE' | translate}}
{{'NOM_INVALIDE' | translate}}
{{'EMAIL_INVALIDE' | translate}}
Please select a Domain of Expertise

* {{'CHAMPS_REQUIS' | translate}}

{{'VRAIMENT' | translate}} ?

* I have read and accepted the attached Media Data Protection Policy.

You've been subscribed !
{{vm.alert_response}}
{{'UNE_ERREUR_EST_SURVENUE' | translate}}

{{'POUR_AMELIORER_VOTRE_EXPERIENCE' | translate}}. {{'EN_SAVOIR_PLUS' | translate}} ›