ESA Open Invitation To Tender AO8402
Open Date: 28/09/2015
Closing Date: 09/11/2015

Status: ISSUED
Reference Nr.: 15.133.06
Prog. Ref.: TRP
Budget Ref.: E/0901-01 – TRP
Special Prov.: BE+DK+FR+DE+IT+NL+ES+SE+CH+GB+IE+AT+NO+FI+PT+GR+LU+CZ+RO+PL
Tender Type: C
Price Range: > 500 KEURO
Establishment: ESTEC
Directorate: Directorate of Technical & Quality Manag
Department: Mechanical Engineering Department
Division: Structure and Mechanisms Division
Contract Officer: Almeida, Rudolfo
Last Update Date: 28/09/2015
Update Reason: Tender issue

As recognised by the Future Technology Advisory Panel report „FTAP First Cycle, Final Report 2012″, ” system studies and technology developments are recommended to be undertaken to mature the concepts” for large ultra-stable deployable structures. A Working Group was established to identify needs and state of the art for „Ultra Stable Deployable Structures” for Science and Earth Observationmissions, producing a white paper (TEC-SB/0063/DB, issue1) identifying a possible roadmap for a development up to TRL5. A CTP funded activity Large Stable Deployable Structures for Future Science Missions was initiated in response to above roadmap, with focus on system studies, trade off and full scale breadboard test of a long deployable mast concept. As opposed to the above Long Deployable Mast concept, a different class of ultra-stable deployable structures has been conceived and pre-designed during the IXO CDF study CDF-86(A) April 2009, based on a articulated boom architecture. The IXO articulated boom concept presented several advantages w.r.t. alternative architectures, and as such was selected as baseline for the two parallel industrial system studies and a breadboard activity was successfully performed. Its main features where presented in the IAC paper: „Advanced Multibody Simulation Technicques for Large Deployable Systems – the IXO Case” IAC-10-C2.2.4-Prague 2010. Among the many positive features of this concept, the following can be noted: -the possibility of efficient stowage along the spacecraft main body. -the possibility to re-use a number of technologies already developed at TRL5 (e.g. thin wall CFRP booms, developed within Large Deployable Reflectors studies), -the possibility touse the motorised hinges for in-orbit active control of the deployed system (to achieve higher stability requirements), -the possibility to extend up to 30 meters the focal length (highly required by the IXO science team). -the high reliability of a motorised hinge based boom deployment which is the building block of this architecture. Above features make the articulated boom architecture a possible mission enabling concept for IXO like missions (or even with larger focal length). Of course other than IXO application can be envisaged with the articulated boom concept, due to the superiority of a parallel mechanisms concepts w.r.t concepts based on telescopic booms or based on sliding couplings in general (e.g. it could efficiently replace the sliding carriages of the ESA FIRI mission selected baseline, see above mentioned Working Group white paper). For the above reasons it is proposed to exploit this unique articulated boom type of architecture for large ultra-stable deployable structures, by performing: -Phase 1 where all studies and test performed in relation to this concept would be analysed to identify all range of mission opportunities, in order to define envelope requirements for the Phase 2. Critical components breadboard activities would be performed in the same Phase 1. -Phase 2 where a demonstrator model would be produced to reach TRL5 for the full deployable system. Full scale demonstrator might not be necessary to reach TRL5, but is a goal of the activity. 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 R&D entities in ESA programmes”.

If you wish to access the documents related to the Invitation to Tender, you have to log in to the ESA Portal.