ESA Space Engineering & Technology ESA Space Engineering & Technology
- Slimming down solar cellson December 2, 2020 at 9:59 am
Image: Slimming down solar cells
- ESA purchases world-first debris removal mission from start-upon December 1, 2020 at 12:30 pm
ESA has signed an €86 million contract with an industrial team led by Swiss start-up ClearSpace SA to purchase a unique service: the first removal of an item of space debris from orbit.
- Origami antenna springs up for small satelliteson December 1, 2020 at 7:55 am
A novel helical antenna that sprang from a container the size of a tuna can is now operational in orbit. Developed by Oxford Space Systems in partnership with ESA, this origami-inspired antenna is equal in length to the shoebox-sized satellite hosting it, part of a growing constellation of nanosatellites providing Internet of Things services around the globe.
- 3D print your own Mars rover with ExoMyon November 30, 2020 at 11:08 am
Europe’s Rosalind Franklin ExoMars rover has a younger ’sibling’ – ExoMy. The blueprints and software for this mini-version of the full-size Mars explorer are available for free so that anyone can 3D print, assemble and program their own ExoMy.
- British technology to turn Moon dust into oxygenon November 27, 2020 at 1:12 pm
British engineers are fine-tuning a process that will be used to extract oxygen from lunar dust, leaving behind metal powders that could be 3D printed into construction materials for a Moon base.It could be an early step to establishing an extra-terrestrial oxygen extraction plant. This would help to enable exploration and sustain life on the Moon while avoiding the enormous cost of sending materials from Earth.