ESA Open Invitation To Tender AO7473
Open Date: 04/04/2013
Closing Date: 17/05/2013

Status: ISSUED
Reference Nr.: 13.133.03
Prog. Ref.: TRP Budget Ref.: E/0901-01 – TRP
Special Prov.: B+DK+F+D+I+NL+E+S+CH+GB+IRL+A+N+FIN+POR+GR+LUX+CZ+RO+PL
Tender Type: C
Price Range: 100-200 KEURO
Establishment: ESTEC
Directorate: Directorate of Technical & Quality Manag
Department: Mechanical Engineering Department
Division: Structure and Mechanisms Division
Contract Officer: Rudolfo Almeida
Last Update Date: 04/04/2013
Update Reason: Tender issue

The objective of the activity is to conceptually assess a tentacles based capture mechanism for debris removal and to bring the design to a PDR level. The activity involves several trade-off: – mechanisms design, – deployment scenario, – capture scenario, – adequacy of the mechanism to properly withstand the deorbiting & re-entry loads – selection of adequate set of sensor to obtain an autonomous capture mechanism. The interaction will the AOCS sub-system shall be also considered through adequate multi-body simulations, so to answer questions like: to which level the relative motion between the chaser and the target can be minimised? And is the capture system robust to unwanted early collision between the chaser and the target ? As a study case for the requirements, a mission similar to Envisat shall be studied and, to make the tentacles mechanism of general applicability, the capability to grasp the launcher I/F cone shall also be considered as a requirement. A baseline design for the mechanism shall hence be selected. and in preparation for the next step, the design details shall be identified up to a PDR level.

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