ESA Technology’s Post

View organization page for ESA Technology, graphic
ESA Technology

10,893 followers

Sometimes visitors to #ESTEC ask to see our "Zero-G room". Sadly the laws of physics mean we don't have one... 😢 BUT we do have the next best thing... Our 45 sq. m ORBIT facility is the flattest floor in Europe, on which glide air-bearing platforms, like an air hockey table in reverse, producing friction free (but quite loud!) movement that reproduces weightless free-floating effects in 2D instead of 3D. ORBIT was recently used by the COCO Project student team from the University of Southampton to test their innovative satellite control system, a test campaign organised through the ESA Academy Experiments programme (with photos taken by Sarah Muirhead): https://lnkd.in/ej3FX5Xc

  • The Coco team from Southampton University test their innovative satellite control system using floating air platforms on the ORBIT flat floor at ESTEC. Their Attitude and Orbit Control Ssystem operates using only two cold gas thrusters on vectoring mechanisms (also called gimbals) to control the position and orientation of our system. Movement is achieved by firing these two thrusters and adjusting the angles of the vectoring mechanisms so that thrust is applied at specific angles. If the thrusters were fixed, eight would be required to perform the same manoeuvres. Specifically, the team has used compliant thrust vectoring mechanisms, which are 3D-printed structures capable of deflecting in two degrees of freedom through bending, thereby eliminating the friction associated with classic thrust vectoring mechanisms.
  • The air-bearing platform in use by the Coco team in preparation for testing on ESA's ORBIT flat floor, with students Marcin Badowski and Fabrizio Pisani.
  • Overhead view of the air-bearing platform used for testing the Coco team's compliant thrust vectoring mechanism design for attitude and orbit control for satellites. The platform has only two cold gas thrusters on vectoring mechanisms (also called gimbals) to control the position and orientation of our system. Movement is achieved by firing these two thrusters and adjusting the angles of the vectoring mechanisms so that thrust is applied at specific angles. If the thrusters were fixed, eight would be required to perform the same maneuvers. Specifically, the team has used compliant thrust vectoring mechanisms, which are 3D-printed structures capable of deflecting in two degrees of freedom through bending, thereby eliminating the friction associated with classic thrust vectoring mechanisms.
  • The Coco team, made up of University of Southampton Masters students testing out their innovative satellite attitude and control system, beside the air-bearing platform used for testing on the ORBIT flat floor. From left to right: Fabrizio Pisani, Pedro Rodriguez López, Elena Carulla Ruiz, Nestoras Papageorgiou, Marcin Badowski.

To view or add a comment, sign in

More Relevant Posts

ESA Technology

10,893 followers

View Profile

Explore topics