ESA Open Invitation to Tender AO9986
Open Date: 09/08/2019
Closing Date: 04/10/2019 13:00:00

Status: ISSUED
Reference Nr.: 19.1EC.05
Prog. Ref.: Technology Developme
Budget Ref.: E/0901-01 – Technology Developme
Special Prov.: AT+BE+CH+CZ+DE+DK+EE+ES+FR+FI+GB+GR+HU+IT+IE+LU+NO+NL+PL+PT+RO+SE
Tender Type: C
Price Range: 200-500 KEURO
Products: Satellites & Probes / AOCS & GNC / AOCS & GNC Eng. SW / SW for AOCS&GNC design, analysis, simulation, etc.
Technology Domains: Space System Control / Control Systems Innovative Technologies / GNC Technologies for Entry, Descent and Landing
Establishment: ESTEC
Directorate: Directorate of Tech, Eng. & Quality
Department: Systems Department
Contract Officer: Seynaeve, Christophe Rene R.
Industrial Policy Measure: N/A – Not apply
Last Update Date: 09/08/2019
Update Reason: Tender issue

The main objective of the activity is to investigate, trade-off and design the GNC and FDIR algorithms needed to extendthe autonomyof the aerobraking phase for EnVision and future planetary missions. In more detail, the following lower-level objectives are in order:1 – To study and trade-off autonomous corridor control strategies (reactive strategies, predictive strategies, mixed reactive/predictive strategies, etc.) and to identify, for the selected options, the implications at system, GNC and operations level.2 To derive the associated system, GNC and FDIR requirements, including requirements for sensors (e.g. accelerometers, thermistors, heat flux sensors, etc.) and avionics (on-board processing and memory) that arise from the need to enhance the spacecraft state estimation in view of increased autonomy.3 For the selected best strategy (or strategies), to define an associated robust safe mode and aerobraking contingency manoeuvres (e.g. pop-up manoeuvres).4 – For the selected best strategy (or strategies), to design and validate on a numerical simulator the GNC and FDIR algorithms that implement the autonomous corridor control, the safe mode and the aerobraking contingency manoeuvres. 5 – To assess the benefits of the proposed solutions from an operational point of view (reduction of ground effort) and mission point of view (increased robustness, reduced fuel consumption, etc.)Description: Recent planetary missions, including notably ESAs ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, have implemented state-of-the-art semi-autonomous techniques to update a pre-loaded command sequence for aerobraking that increases the efficiency of aerobraking thanks to the safety features implemented on-board. However, the effort of the ground segment for planning, commanding and monitoring aerobraking operations remains high. The present activity is intended to address the above, by providing a systematic assessment of autonomous corridor control techniques, highlighting the operational risks and benefits as well as the design implications at system, GNC and FDIR level. Prototyping and validation of the most promising technique (or techniques) will increase the confidence in the effectives of such techniques as well as a consolidation of the requirements on system, GNC and FDIR, with special focus on implications for sensors and avionics. Inaddition, therequired on-board navigation functionalities and on-board models (e.g. atmospheric model) as well as the interfaces with the groundsegment (e.g. periodic update of spacecraft navigation with radiometric data from ground) will be identified. An assessment of the operational benefits of autonomous corridor control will provide a quantitative assessment of the reduction of ground segment effortthat can be expected, together with the associated saving in the cost of operations.