ESA Open Invitation to Tender AO9428
Open Date: 16/07/2018
Closing Date: 10/09/2018 13:00:00

Status: ISSUED
Reference Nr.: 18.1EC.03
Prog. Ref.: Technology Developme
Budget Ref.: E/0901-01 – Technology Developme
Special Prov.: BE+DK+FR+DE+IT+NL+ES+SE+CH+GB+IE+AT+NO+FI+PT+GR+LU+CZ+RO+PL+EE+HU
Tender Type: C
Price Range: > 500 KEURO
Products: Satellites & Probes / AOCS & GNC / Sensors / Optical Navigation Units (including 3D cameras)
Techology Domains: Space System Control / AOCS/GNC Sensors and Actuators / AOCS/GNC Optical Sensors
Establishment: ESTEC
Directorate: Directorate of Tech, Eng. & Quality
Department: System, Software & Technology Department
Contract Officer: Seynaeve, Christophe Rene R.
Industrial Policy Measure: C2 – Activities in open competition, significant partecipat…
Last Update Date: 16/07/2018
Update Reason: Tender issue

This activity aims to design and to manufacture a breadboard of a multi-spectral camera including the proximity electronics and image processing board. The main objective of this camera is to produce images during all phases of the rendezvous independently of theillumination conditions with sufficient quality to be used for accurate navigation purposes. The activity focuses on autonomous navigation systems for rendezvous missions in Lagrangian orbits of Earth-Moon system with special emphasis on NRO. The camera design aims to get power, mass and volume specifications similar to current visual cameras for navigation The activity will be broken down intasks as follows: Specifications and Preliminary Design Consolidation. It analyzes the results of the latest activities on relativenavigation for RDV with cooperative and uncooperative targets (including at least ‘Multi-Spectral Sensing for Relative Navigation’ studies and ‘Image Registration and Navigation’). These previous studies and the results from GNC for RVD in NRO are used to consolidate the mission scenario and the camera and image processing requirements for a rendezvous in the Earth-Moon 3-Body Problem. A validation plan is prepared to verify the breadboard manufacturing and validate its performances. The validation plan includes the SW models, namely, a high fidelity model with image generation and image processing, and a medium fidelity model without image generationbut considering shape of the target, relative pose, and environment impact on the image processing output. Detailed Design. The design of the multi-spectral camera that satisfies the requirements of Task 1 is performed. All the components of the breadboard are identified to provide the equivalent functional performances of the flight model. The image processing (IP) board and the IP algorithms are jointly optimized considering the mission requirements and the candidate alternative missions. The IP algorithms are implemented according to the selected HW/SW implementation. The design is validated in a MIL simulator configured for RVD in the selected mission scenarios, including the high-fidelity model of the camera and a representative implementation of the IP algorithms (e.g. fixed-point implementation). Procurement and Integration. In this task the procurement of the components of the camera including the required IP cores and SW licenses is performed. The components are characterized and correlated with the SW models of the camera. The IPSW is embedded in the IP board. Integration tests are executed to demonstrate the readiness for breadboard validation. The requiredsupport facilities and models to perform the validation tests are procured and assembled. Breadboard Testing The system tests are executed and analysed. The results are used to correlate the models (both high-fidelity and medium fidelity). The camera specifications are updated. In addition, the main findings, including any lessons learned, are summarized. Finally future activities to raise the TRL are proposed.Procurement Policy: C(2) = A relevant participation (in terms of quality and quantity) of non-primes (incl. SMEs) is required. For additional information please go to EMITS news “Industrial Policy measures for non-primes, SMEs and RD entitiesin ESA programmes”.

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