apex: A new commercial off-the-shelf on-board computer platform for sounding rockets

In order to supersede the aging Microchip ATMEGA328P as the de facto standard for Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) On-Board Computers (OBCs) with a more powerful system for different kinds of high-speed sensors and image acquisition applications, we developed advanced processors, encryption, and security experiment (apex). The platform consisting of a newly developed OBC using COTS components has been flight tested during the ATEK/MAPHEUS-8 sounding rocket campaign. The main advantages of the apex OBC lies in the speed and simplicity of the design while maintaining operational security with a redundant master-master microcontroller system, as well as dual flash storage within each master. Additionally, a single board computer with a containerized and failure-resistant Operating System (OS) (balenaOS) was included to allow usage of a high-definition camera or other more compute-intensive tasks. The bench and flight tests were performed successfully and already showed feasible ways to further improve operational performance

К определению поверхностного натяжения, объема и площади криволинейной поверхности по форме сидячих пузырьков или висячих капель

The multi-user facility EXPOSE-E was designed by the European Space Agency to enable astrobiology research in space (low-Earth orbit). On 7 February 2008, EXPOSE-E was carried to the International Space Station (ISS) on the European Technology Exposure Facility (EuTEF) platform in the cargo bay of Space Shuttle STS-122 Atlantis. The facility was installed at the starboard cone of the Columbus module by extravehicular activity, where it remained in space for 1.5 years. EXPOSE-E was returned to Earth with STS-128 Discovery on 12 September 2009 for subsequent sample analysis. EXPOSE-E provided accommodation in three exposure trays for a variety of astrobiological test samples that were exposed to selected space conditions: either to space vacuum, solar electromagnetic radiation at > 110nm and cosmic radiation (trays 1 and 3) or to simulated martian surface conditions (tray 2). Data on UV radiation, cosmic radiation, and temperature were measured every 10 s and downlinked by telemetry. A parallel mission ground reference (MGR) experiment was performed on ground with a parallel set of hardware and samples under simulated space conditions. EXPOSE-E performed a successful 1.5-year mission in space

The astrobiological mission EXPOSE-R on board of the International Space Station

EXPOSE-R flew as the second of the European Space Agency (ESA) EXPOSE multi-user facilities on the International Space Station. During the mission on the external URM-D platform of the Zvezda service module, samples of eight international astrobiology experiments selected by ESA and one Russian guest experiment were exposed to low Earth orbit space parameters from March 10th, 2009 to January 21st, 2011. EXPOSE-R accommodated a total of 1220 samples for exposure to selected space conditions and combinations, including space vacuum, temperature cycles through 273K, cosmic radiation, solar electromagnetic radiation at >110, >170 or >200nm at various fluences up to GJm−2. Samples ranged from chemical compounds via unicellular organisms and multicellular mosquito larvae and seeds to passive radiation dosimeters. Additionally, one active radiation measurement instrument was accommodated on EXPOSE-R and commanded from ground in accordance with the facility itself. Data on ultraviolet radiation, cosmic radiation and temperature were measured every 10s and downlinked by telemetry and data carrier every few months. The EXPOSE-R trays and samples returned to Earth on March 9th, 2011 with Shuttle flight, Space Transportation System (STS)-133/ULF 5, Discovery, after successful total mission duration of 27 months in space. The samples were analysed in the individual investigators laboratories. A parallel Mission Ground Reference experiment was performed on ground with a parallel set of hardware and samples under simulated space conditions following to the data transmitted from the flight missio

EXPOSE-R2, the 3rd successful EXPOSE mission – a mission and mission ground reference overview

For nearly 2 years the 3rd ESA EXPOSE mission, the 2nd on the Russian Zvezda module of the ISS, exposed a variety of astrobiological samples to space and simulated Mars environmental conditions. Various chemical compounds and organisms like bacteria, archaea, fungi, plant seeds, lychens, mosses and animal eggs and larvae from the international experiments BIOMEX, BOSS, P.S.S. and the IBMP-experiment were exposed to space vacuums dryness, extraterrestrial short wavelength UV, radiation and temperature oscillation or Mars-like conditions comprised of a 980 Pa pressure CO₂ dominated gas mixture and solar UV modulated to simulate Mars surface solar radiation. The complete mission was simulated under ESA contract in the Planetary and Space Simulation facilities at DLR Cologne according to mission data received from the ISS and to UV radiation calculations by RedShift

Containerless Processing on ISS: Ground Support Program for EML

EML is an electromagnetic levitation facility planned for the ISS aiming at processing and investigating liquid metals or semiconductors by using electromagnetic levitation technique under microgravity with reduced electromagnetic fields and convection conditions. Its diagnostics and processing methods allow to measure thermophysical properties in the liquid state over an extended temperature range and to investigate solidification phenomena in undercooled melts. The EML project is a common effort of The European Space Agency (ESA) and the German Space Agency DLR. The Microgravity User Support Centre MUSC at Cologne, Germany, has been assigned the responsibility for EML operations. For the EML experiment preparation an extensive scientific ground support program is established at MUSC, providing scientific and technical services in the preparation, performance and evaluation of the experiments. Its final output is the transcription of the scientific goals and requirements into validated facility control parameters for the experiment execution onboard the ISS

Rosetta-Lander: On-Comet Operations Execution and Recovery after the Unexpected Landing

Philae’s landing on comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko on 12 November 2014 was one of the main milestones of the European Rosetta mission. The nature of Philae’s mission, to land, operate and survive on comet 67P, required a high degree in autonomy of the on-board software and of the operations scheduling and execution concept. Philae’s baseline operations timeline consisted of predefined and validated blocks of instrument deployments and scientific measurements. These were supported by subsystem activities such as rotation and lifting of the main body relative to the landing gear to allow for specific instrument deployment or in order to cope with the unknown attitude after landing. The nominal descent was followed by an unforeseen rebound at touchdown, lifting Philae again from the comet surface to enter a two-hour phase of uncontrolled flight over the comet surface. Philae’s unknown final landing site, unfavorable attitude with respect to the local surface, bad illumination and lack of anchoring required a complete rescheduling of the baseline timeline. The autonomy offered by the system and the predefined contingency operations were exploited by the operations team to maximize output despite this undesirable state. Implementation of the rescheduling to allow a maximum scientific output, despite the limitations due to unknown communication windows, unknown orientation with respect to the comet surface, the associated risks of any mechanisms activation, the lack of sufficient solar power and limited battery lifetime, is described and elaborated