ESA Open Invitation to Tender AO9840
Open Date: 07/05/2019
Closing Date: 02/07/2019 13:00:00

Status: ISSUED
Reference Nr.: 19.1EC.02
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
Technology Domains: Space System Control / Control Systems Engineering / AOCS/GNC Architecture
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: 07/05/2019
Update Reason: Tender issue

Novel GNC systems are based on on-board real-time optimized GNC systems to enable safe ascent, agile manoeuvring as well as ultraprecise stage landing on ships and ground. Modern space transportation and future exploration systems will be re-usable to contribute in reducing mission costs, while improving reliability, safety and performance. This activity shall establish novel GNC architectures and systems implementing Real-time Optimised GNC system for reliable and fault tolerant ascent flight, precise orbital guidance and control as well as for precision entry descent and landing. Key requirements for the realisation of this technology shall rely on the development of:A) Novel Reconfigurable Fault Tolerant GNC Architectures: The architectural design for re-usable GNC system must be rethought in an incremental fashion and shall rely on a generalised augmentation structure, such that when degradations occur creating substantial delays, the system state remains operational in a so called super safemode. The super safe mode allows full operation of the system meeting all lower level design requirements while not addressing autonomy and limits of performance (feasibility without optimality).B) Real-time Implementable Mission, GNC and VV Algorithms: The GNC algorithms to be developed shall be numerically efficient in order to be implemented and executed in real-time tasks with a reasonable accuracy, fidelity and resolution.C) Adaptive Optimality: The augmented real-time adaptive architecture will serve in exploiting on-line the limits of performance. Guaranteed by design of feasible online solutions must be demonstrated over a wide set of operational conditions even in extreme conditions as well as in degraded mode.D) Verifiability: There must be design metrics that accurately describe the performance and robustness of GNC algorithms.The activity encompasses the following tasks:- Critical Analysis GNC Systems for Reusable Space Transportation Systems, Definition of GNC Requirements- Architectural Design for Responsive GNC Systems- Development of Responsive Fault Tolerant and Autonomous GNC System for (Ascent, Orbital Operations, Hypersonic Entry Descent, Precision Landing- Processor in the loopTesting Validation