The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.

Formed in 1973, when a Ministerial Conference in the Hague approved a highly ambitious space programme to carry the European space effort into the new millennium.

Since the last ESMATS, The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) was successfully launched aboard an Ariane 5 from Kourou on Christmas Day 2021. JWST then took 30 days to travel to the Lagrange-2 position during which the sunshield and mirror segments were successfully deployed. Once at the L2 position the segments were correctly aligned and the instruments commissioned. The above images show the Hubble (left) and JWST (right) images taken of the Eagle Nebula. Other successes include BepiColombo completing a 2nd swing-by of Mercury on the 23rd June 2022, Vega-C completing its inaugural flight on the 13th July 2022 and Solar Orbiter made its closest approach yet to the Sun on 12th October 2022.

ESA member states

ESA has 22 Member States; Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Further to the 22 Member States, Canada and Slovenia, based on their agreements with ESA, also qualify to fully participate in the programmes of the ESA Education Office. Seven other EU states have Cooperation Agreements with ESA: Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta and Slovakia.
By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, ESA can undertake programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country.

ESA develops the launchers, spacecraft and ground facilities needed to keep Europe at the forefront of global space activities.

Today, it launches satellites for Earth observation, navigation, telecommunications and astronomy, sends probes to the far reaches of the Solar System and cooperates in the human exploration of space.

ESA’s purpose shall be to provide for, and to promote, for exclusively peaceful purposes, cooperation among European States in space research and technology and their space applications, with a view to their being used for scientific purposes and for operational space applications systems:

• by elaborating and implementing a long-term European space policy, by recommending space objectives to the Member States, and by concerting the policies of the Member States with respect to other national and international organisations and institutions;
• by elaborating and implementing activities and programmes in the space field;
• by coordinating the European space programme and national programmes, and by integrating the latter progressively and as completely as possible into the European space programme, in particular as regards the development of applications satellites;
• by elaborating and implementing the industrial policy appropriate to its programme and by recommending a coherent industrial policy to the Member States.

Contact details:

Website: www.esa.int

Airbus Defence and Space is a Division of Airbus. It is the No. 1 defence and space player in Europe, delivering innovative and sustainable defence, security and space solutions for a safe and united world. The Division’s business is driven by four Programme Lines: Military Air Systems, Future Combat Air System (FCAS), Space Systems and Connected Intelligence.

Space Systems delivers leading space technology and solutions for commercial and government customers around the globe. The Programme Line’s expertise includes telecommunications satellites for any mission, very-high-resolution Earth observation instruments, unique deep space missions, flawless International Space Station operations and lunar exploration. From the smallest electronic parts and spacecraft equipment to in-orbit delivery of satellites and associated services, reaching for the stars is the daily business of Space Systems.

Airbus Mechanism Products belongs to the mechanical-thermal-propulsion engineering division of Airbus Defence and Space, and has the ability to develop and manage all kinds of electro-mechanical projects within this organization and with support from other specialized departments of Airbus Defence and Space.

Contact Details:

Airbus Defence and Space GmbH
Claude Dornier Straße
88090 Immenstaad
office.tesmc@airbus.com
Contact: https://www.airbus.com/en/space/equipment/mechanisms

Agencja Rozwoju Przemysłu S.A. is a company with more than 30 years of experience. It supports the development of Polish companies by financing investments and assisting in restructuring processes. ARP S.A. played a key role in the free market transformation of the Polish economy. In the coming years, it has ambitions to become one of the leaders in the energy transition. ARP S.A.’s new strategy “Clean Industry” focuses on investments in offshore wind energy, hydrogen and space technologies.

Contact Details:

ul. Nowy Świat 6/12
00-400 Warsaw, Poland
Centrum Bankowo Finansowe – entrance “C”
Website: https://arp.pl/en/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/agencja-rozwoju-przemyslu/

Technologies across the space value chain

ARQUIMEA is a Spanish technology company that operates globally in high technology sectors such as space, aeronautics, defense, science, biotechnology and fintech. It has more than 18 years of experience and more than 500 professionals.

In the space sector, it collaborates with major agencies such as NASA and ESA, leading companies in traditional and new space, international consortium and research centers.

Technologies in more than 180 space missions

ARQUIMEA is a reference supplier with the capacity to design and integrate small satellites, thermal control systems and structures, avionics and optical equipment, as well as critical components, such as microchips, deployment mechanisms and actuators for satellites and other space platforms. ARQUIMEA and its acquired companies have successfully participated in more than 180 space missions.

In 2022 ARQUIMEA acquired IberEspacio with the aim of strengthening its capabilities and accessing new markets and business segments. The company has more than a decade in the sector and has participated in more than 90 missions with more than 2,200 units in flight.

In addition to the acquisition of IberEspacio, ARQUIMEA has also reached investment, collaboration and technology transfer agreements with Ecliptic Enterprises, a leading company in the US in optical systems and avionics for space with more than 20 years of experience and more than 500 cameras launched in 75 successful missions. These agreements make ARQUIMEA a benchmark in the supply of optical payloads, sensors and avionics for space.

ARQUIMEA products and services are present in the main international missions, satellites and projects around the world. Some examples are Artemis, which will take man back to the Moon; Psyche, which will study the metallic asteroid of the same name, Copernicus; Mars 2020; Insight; Mars Science Laboratory; SPAINSAT NG; Hispasat 36W-1 or Eutelsat Quantum.

In addition to the above, ARQUIMEA is the main shareholder and industrial partner of BeetleSat, the new broadband telecommunications constellation based on unique deployable antenna technology. ARQUIMEA is working on the design of the flight segment of the constellation, which will add 264 satellites in LEO orbit and is scheduled to be launched in 2026.

To carry out this and other projects of the company, ARQUIMEA has production centers with the latest technology and machinery for design, integration, manufacturing and testing, including ISO-5, 7 and 8 clean rooms.

Technological capabilities:

ARQUIMEA has skills and capabilities at all levels of the value chain, which allows us to generate synergies and adapt to the particularities and requirements of our clients and projects:

1. Design and production of structures and thermal systems for satellites, such as subassemblies, thermos structural panels, loop heat pipes, heat pipes, deployable radiators and thermal blankets.
2. Optical systems and avionics for earth observation satellites, monitoring, space exploration and surveillance.
3. Engineering and production of high-performance electromechanical components.
4. Design and manufacture of deployment mechanisms and actuators (HDRM) to hold and release elements such as solar panels and antennas on satellites.
5. Design of analog, digital and mixed-signal integrated circuits, resistant to radiation.

Hold Down & Release Mechanisms (HDRM) and actuators for space applications

ARQUIMEA has decades of experience in the design, manufacture, integration and testing of critical electromechanical components such as mechanisms and actuators qualified for use in space for satellites, solar panels, antennas, and other elements. The experience, agility and flexibility allow ARQUIMEA to adapt quickly and offer the right technology in the time and form required, for any type of mission.

ARQUIMEA designs, manufactures and commercializes a complete family of 5KN, 15KN and 35KN (REACT) space qualified non-pyrotechnic and in-field resettable Hold Down and Release Mechanisms (HDRM) REACT and actuators for satellites and other space applications based on Shape Memory Alloys technology.

The company has contributed to ESA missions such as Copernicus, μHETSAT or Clear Space and collaborate with leading companies in the sector and leading satellite manufacturers.

The resettable mechanisms and low-shock Hold-Down & Release Actuators are devices that firmly fix a payload in a satellite during transportation or launch. When the satellite reaches the desire position in orbit, the actuator releases the payload by electrical activation.

ARQUIMEA’s HDRM actuators (REACT) are available in two different motorization options based either on TiNi or SMARQ® Shape Memory Alloys (SMA) technology. For a perfect performance and test, our mechanisms and actuators for space provide in-field manual reset capability to the end user and covers wide actuation temperature ranges. Typical applications for HDRM include hold-down and release of deployable solar arrays, antennas, booms and masts, reflectors, cover doors, scientific instruments, shutter mechanisms, large structures, launch locks for gimbals, thrusters, stage separation, caging mechanisms, etc.

ARQUIMEA’s SMA actuators are based on a two-stage mechanism: structural and trigger. The Structural assembly is responsible of holding the high external loads in a safe and reliable way, while the trigger is responsible of transforming the system into a bistable structure that is self-motorized to effectively release the main bolt.

The device is electrically activated with a customizable interface. The total amount of energy is effectively transformed into heat to induce the transformation of the Shape Memory Alloy thus motorizing the system with a redundant trigger.

Deployment mechanisms for satellites

ARQUIMEA develops hinge- and spring-based deployment mechanisms with deployment detection. These are suitable to be used together with its HDRM (REACT) solution for the deployment of solar panels, antennas and instruments.

The company provides off-the-shelf solutions for solar arrays as well as custom designs for each specific application. ARQUIMEA has extensive flight experience in space and technical knowledge to design, manufacture and integrate into our own facilities and perform the necessary tests and qualifications of all types of key electromechanical mechanisms for satellites.

We offer the complete system of deployable mechanisms for solar panels, antennas and other elements on board satellites of all sizes and functionalities. We adapt to the needs and particularities of each mission, to design the right system with the latest technology that guarantees perfect operation.

Contact details:

Company name: ARQUIMEA
Address: Avenida Premios Nobel, 53, 28850 Madrid, Spain
Phone number: +34 627495410
Contact and e-mail: Blanca de Frutos bfrutos@arquimea.com
Website address: www.arquimea.com

AVS, Added Value Solutions is a global SME established in 2006. Today we are proud of being one of the world’s leading companies specialized in the development of complex equipment for industries such as fusion, particle accelerators, and space. With a remarkable track record and a strong focus on technological advancements, AVS has established itself in the Big Science and Space markets as a trusted provider of high-value, critical equipment worldwide.

Cutting-Edge Solutions for Space: AVS embarked on its journey into the space sector by first gaining experience in fusion and particle acceleration technologies. Leveraging this expertise, the company expanded into the space industry, designing equipment with cross-applications. Over the years, AVS has achieved notable successes in space, including securing contracts with renowned organizations such as the European Space Agency (ESA), NASA, and ISRO, while also forming strategic partnerships with major European primes such as Airbus, Thales, and OHB.

AVS’s impressive achievements in the space domain encompass a wide range of projects. Notably, the company has contributed significantly to NASA’s exploration efforts, including the development of two instruments for the Perseverance rover and the creation of three subsystems for the NASA-ESA Mars Sample Return Mission.

These collaborations with esteemed organizations and missions demonstrate AVS’s growing presence as an advanced mechatronics and robotics provider for Moon, Mars, Earth Observation, Telecommunications and in-orbit servicing missions.

AVS Heritage and Background in Mechanisms

AVS has also been instrumental in the development of a disruptive water-based propulsion system in conjunction with URA Thrusters. Additionally, AVS is eagerly preparing for the launch of its own small satellite missions in 2024, representing a significant milestone as the first satellite of its class to be designed and manufactured by a private Spanish company.

The LUR-1 mission space segment includes one 50kg microsatellite, which is designed to perform the IOD of several advanced subsystems developed by AVS and URA thrusters, including Active Thermal Control, Electrospray Propulsion, Electrolyzed Water Propulsion and Mechanisms

STEADY GROWTH AND GLOBAL RECOGNITION

Since its establishment in 2006, AVS has experienced continuous growth, earning global recognition for its design and development of cutting-edge, high-value equipment. Through 17 years of bootstrapping, AVS has nurtured a team of over 150 stargazers and innovators, whose tireless dedication spans across locations in Spain, the USA, the UK, and France.

This diverse team serves as the rocket fuel propelling AVS’s success in delivering innovative solutions to complex challenges in the space industry.

With a remarkable history of achievements, AVS has earned global recognition for its high-value, critical equipment and its role in groundbreaking projects with esteemed organizations like NASA and ESA. As AVS continues to push the boundaries of technology, it remains a trusted partner and a force to be reckoned with in the fields of mechatronics, robotics, and space exploration

FROM CONCEPT THROUGH COMMISIONNING

In AVS we are experts in design, manufacturing, assembly, tests and supply under ISO9001 and EN9100 certificates, with the advantage of the on-site manufacturing workshop and assembly and integration facilities, more than 10,000 m2 of facilities distributed across six locations in Europe, as well as the UK and the USA, including clean rooms, providing our customers from the conceptual design to the turnkey.

CONTACT DETAILS

Cristina Ortega – Head of Space
T. +34 943 821 841
C/Albert Einstein, 35. Edif. E9 Marie Curie
Parque Tecnológico de Álava
01510 – Vitoria-Gasteiz
SPAIN
Website: www.a-v-s.es
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/addedvaluesolutions

From RUAG Space to Beyond Gravity

In spring 2022, RUAG Space, rebranded as Beyond Gravity. The new name and brand identity position the company even more consistently as a global player in the international space market. As of 1 May 2022, André Wall has taken over the operational management of Beyond Gravity as CEO. In the summer 2022, Beyond Gravity launched a space incubator. The co-operation with start-ups ensures the early identification of promising ideas and concepts as well as their acceleration.

Satellites division

The Satellites division brings together all of Beyond Gravity’s satellite activities and supplies mission-critical products for a wide range of satellite missions for commercial and institutional customers. With the exception of engines, all core elements of a satellite are offered: from the satellite structure, the computer and other electronics to thermal protection, a wide variety of mechanisms and slip rings. The Satellites division has around 750 employees and sites in Switzerland, Sweden, Austria, the USA and Finland. In 2022 it won significant orders from new and established customers and was able to support important projects. For NASA’s Gateway space station, the division will supply pointing mechanisms for the electric propulsion and network electronics. NASA’s Artemis missions will also use solar array drive mechanisms, structures and slip rings from the Satellites division. The Division investments in new product developments such as the OnBoard computers for satellite constellations and a family of modular pointing mechanisms. The Satellites division is headed up by Anders Linder.

Launchers division

The Launchers division, with around 660 employees and business units in Switzerland, the USA and Sweden, focused on further development with a view to profitable growth. The division concentrated heavily on the development and expansion of the two sites in Decatur and Linköping, which will manufacture payload fairings and satellite dispensers for Amazon’s Kuiper satellite project. The orders secured in this context are among the largest in Beyond Gravity’s corporate history and offer the opportunity for new jobs and further orders. Beyond Gravity’s payload fairings are used not only on the American Vulcan launch vehicles, but also on the European Ariane 5 and 6 and the Japanese H3. Since autumn 2022, the division has been headed up by Paul Horstink, who was previously responsible for RUAG Aerostructures Switzerland.

Lithography division

In October 2022, the new Lithography division was established within Beyond Gravity. The business area, with 185 employees and departments at the two sites in Zurich, Switzerland, and Coswig, Germany, develops and produces special actuators as well as apertures required for nanometre- precise semiconductor production. The mechanisms that support laser optics and other optical systems are used worldwide in machines for the production of microchips and form the basis for a variety of high-tech applications such as smartphones or artificial intelligence. Oliver Kunz, who was previously responsible for global engineering at Beyond Gravity, manages the division.

Contact details:

Address: Beyond Gravity Schweiz AG
Schaffhauserstrasse 580 | 8052 Zürich | Switzerland
Phone number +41 445530700
anni.schulze@beyondgravity.com
www.beyondgravity.com

Who We Are

Founded more than 50 years ago and operated, in the UK by ESR Technology on behalf of ESA, ESTL (the European Space Tribology Laboratory) is ESA’s external laboratory providing unique expertise in space tribology.

ESTL’s remit is to support European industry in the development of reliable tribological solutions for space mechanisms (both for ESA and fully commercial missions), as well as to develop tribological understanding, lubricant technology and best practice for the benefit of the European space industry.  We have supported many hundreds of missions, including Science, Earth Observation, Telecom and Commercial Constellations by provision of expertise, technology, lubricants or mechanism development support of many kinds.

What We Do

ESTL can support your mechanism products from concept, through development to first flight and even recurrent production, here’s how…

R&D & Consultancy

ESTL carries out a number of annually-defined tribological R&D activities on behalf of ESA, sharing the results to support industry. We also provide expert consultancy (in some cases for free) to apply both established and new knowledge recently gained to support our clients to develop their next generation space mechanism products. This support is available to entities within the ESA Member and Cooperating States for ANY space activity – whether fully commercial or ESA-led.

Lubrication

As a leading supplier of dry PVD lubricants, ESTL offers a number of long-established and successful products which have been qualified by our clients in a diverse range of the most demanding space applications. We back up our lubricant products with first class product knowledge and we are very happy to support lubricant selection for new applications as well as to support post-delivery with information on correct handling and storage.

We can supply both solid- and fluid-lubricated bearings, using established processes and we continue to evolve our lubrication business to offer more capable, cost effective and environmentally resilient products together with innovative lower-cost process options for new and more established lubricants.

For example, our “next generation” solid lubricants promise significant (~1-2 orders of magnitude) life improvement and ground test benefits over our heritage MoS2 product, and evolved processes enable more cost-effective component processing solutions without compromise to performance or quality.  For fluid lubrication and cage impregnation, we can offer our traditional ESTL in-house process (with significant heritage) or the option of cage impregnation in accordance with a NASA standard as an option.

Test

From amongst more than 20 thermal vacuum chambers, we offer access to a number of specialised tribological test facilities. These include specialised tribometers (PoD, SOT, VMTM), component level test rigs (bearing and gear component testing) and configurable thermal vacuum chambers which can support specific mechanism tests on a commercial basis (e.g. for TV qualification of new actuators or other hardware).  Examples include a dedicated ultra-clean vacuum facility, and chambers capable of exposing hardware to cryogenic or extreme high temperatures.

Access To Data

Our website “Members Area” hosts hundreds of technical reports, papers, presentations and other data sources developed by us over many years – and is accessed by companies both large and small on equal terms throughout the ESA Member and Cooperating States.  On behalf of ESA we have developed a Space Tribology Handbook and have led both the development of a Ball Bearing Handling and Preloading guideline and the recent substantial updates to our bearing analysis code, CABARET.

Our unique Space Tribology Course (happily presented in person once again) is well recognised as valuable by new and more experienced engineers alike, and in 2023 for the first time we offer a (virtual) CABARET training course in the week preceding ESMATS

Support for Commercial Programmes

Typical commercial activities include TV test at component-, unit-, mechanism sub-assembly- or instrument-level or provision of solid or fluid lubricated bearings. These services are available to clients in Europe and also beyond.

Beyond ESTL itself, ESR Technology’s parallel in-house mechanism team “ESR Space” can support production of bearing sub-assemblies, actuators, development of bespoke mechanism solutions and larger technology development/instrument development programmes.

All of ESR Technology’s space industry activities are EN9100:2018 (AS 9100D) accredited.

ESMATS

ESTL is proud to have presented or contributed to more than 100 ESMATS papers, since the inception of ESMATS, the leading forum for exchanging information on spacecraft mechanism development in Europe. As such, we are very happy to be supporting ESMATS 2023 and wish all participants a useful, informative and enjoyable conference experience.

See you in Warsaw!

Contact Point

ESTL
ESR Technology Ltd.
202 Cavendish Place, Birchwood Park,
Warrington, WA3 6WU, U.K.

Contact Person:

Simon Lewis   – Manager of ESTL
simon.lewis@esrtechnology.com
T. +44 (0)1925 843451
Website: www.esrtechnology.com

From concept through design and engineering to production, maxon has the technical know-how to cover the complete process of designing and manufacturing brushed and brushless DC electric motors, gearboxes (both planetary and spur), feedback devices and control. Customized drive solutions are an integral part of the company’s strategy, supported by a large engineering division.  Founded 1961 maxon has now grown to >3000 employees spread over 30 countries, with over 1300 at the headquarters in Sachseln, Switzerland. Further production facilities are located near Freiburg, Germany (where all gearheads and some motor subassemblies are produced), Veszprem, Hungary (where certain manually intensive windings and brush-cover assemblies are produced as well as a number of high volume motor types), Korea (for all ECi motors), France, The Netherlands and USA. The last three locations specialize in modifying existing designs for local markets. Areas of special technical competence include machining of high precision metal and plastic parts, precision injection molding (both plastics, metals and ceramics), jig & tooling design and production, magnetic field simulations, development of motor controllers and encoders as well as the overall design of custom electric motors and gearboxes.

Approximately 90% of maxon’s annual production of nearly 5 million motors is for customer specific models. The remaining 10% of “catalog products” constitute the basis from which most customer modifications are made.

Maxon is ISO9100 certified (and was only the 7th company in Switzerland to achieve this in 1988). More recently ISO14001 (environmental standards) certification in 2006, ISO 13485 (medical standards) certification in 2007, EN9100 (Aerospace and Defense) in 2011 and IATF 16949 (Automotive) in 2022 were added.

Mars helicopter “Ingenuity”
Six Brushed DC motors (DCX10 S) as swashplate actuators
The above image of the helicopter is publicly released but the usage is regulated by JPL’s image use policy.

Maxon has had experience in formal participation with space programs since the early 1990’s. Starting with the first Mars rover, Sojourner, landing in 1997, maxon has been a regular partner with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Both rovers Spirit and Opportunity, which landed on Mars in January 2005, each have 39 brushed maxon motors for the drive wheels, steering, camera mast and science arm. The Phoenix lander also used 7 brushed motors for positioning the two solar panels and moving the science arm. The Insight Mars lander also used brushed motors to deploy the solar arrays and hammer the mole instrument into the ground. More recently the sample handling system inside the Perseverance rover and the swashplate actuators on the Ingenuity Mars helicopter used both brushed and brushless motor and planetary gearboxes.

Contact details:

maxon international
Brunigstrasse 220
6072 Sachseln
Switzerland
Contact person: Stefan Dillier (maxon SpaceLab customer support)  Stefan.Dillier@maxongroup.com
Website: www.maxongroup.com

OHB System AG is the largest subsidiary of the German space and technology group OHB SE and one of the leading suppliers of space systems in Europe. Headquartered in Bremen and with a second strong site in Oberpfaffenhofen near Munich, OHB System AG has more than 40 years of experience in the development of high-tech solutions for space missions and other fields of application.

The portfolio of products and services ranges from the realisation of satellite systems for Earth observation, navigation, telecommunications and reconnaissance to the design and implementation of missions for space exploration and the development of systems for human space flight.

High-precision robotic and mechatronic systems

OHB System AG at the Oberpfaffenhofen site has been engaged in the development of high-precision robotic and mechatronic systems for more than two decades and has accumulated strong expertise in the design and development of:

• high-precision mechanisms and integrated mechatronic systems for optical instruments
• robotic systems for planetary exploration
• payloads and systems for orbital servicing and de-orbiting.

Our ambition is to maintain and further promote the company’s position as one of the leading European players in robotics and mechatronics, and to serve as a reliable provider of integrated mechatronic systems and payloads. The key competences of OHB System AG in this field are:

• in-house design and development of mechatronic and robotic systems including control systems and algorithms
• contribution to systems engineering and design at unit, instrument, payload, and satellite level, based on a profound understanding of the mission objectives, requirements and system architectures
• system engineering and technical management of mechatronic sub-systems and equipment developed in-house
• management of sub-contractors for robotic and mechatronic systems in all technical matters
• competence and service centre for all mechanical manufacturing processes
• production engineering, manufacturing and finishing planning as well as material flow management covering all steps performed by OHB System AG‘s own workshop and by external manufacturing partners.

Contact Details

OHB System AG
Universitätsallee 27-29
28359 Bremen
Germany
Phone:+49 (0) 421-2020-8
Email: info@ohb.de

OHB System AG
Manfred-Fuchs-Straße 1
82234 Weßling – Oberpfaffenhofen
Germany
Phone:+49 (0) 8153 4002-0
Email: info.oberpfaffenhofen@ohb.de
Website: www.ohb.de

PKO Bank Polski is the leader at the Polish banking sector. The bank is undergoing a digital transformation of internal processes and customer services. It is focused on development of modern technologies and it offers services that go beyond standard banking.

The bank forms a vital part of the Polish economy. It accompanies Poles in their daily life, understands their needs, supports domestic companies and local governments, which affects the country’s economic growth and quality of social life.

Website: www.pkobp.pl

Sener has been a leading supplier of high-performance aerospace systems for Space, Defence and Science for more than 50 years, with high added value technological developments.

We are part of the Sener engineering and technology group, founded in 1956. The Sener Group has near 3,000 professionals in offices in five continents and works in the Aerospace, Infrastructure, Energy and Marine sectors.

In Space, it supplies electromechanical components and systems, navigation systems (GNC/AOCS), communications, astronomy and optics systems, and it is currently participating in the main programs of ESA and NASA (including Euclid, Meteosat Third Generation, Solar Orbiter, JUICE, Proba-3, Hubble, Galileo, Rosetta, Gaia, Herschel and Planck, IXV, BepiColombo, Psyche and Mars 2020) and the European Southern Observatory; in the Space commercial market, is a leading supplier of telemetry and telecommand antennas and a regular supplier of all types of antennas, passive equipment and radio frequency assets for the leading international manufacturers of communications satellites, even in programmes for the so called New Space.

We have been making the future of space exploration possible since 1967. We have been applying our solid experience in the human adventure of outer space since 1967. It is a scientific challenge that we are passionate about and that has led us to demonstrate our capabilities in programs for the most important space agencies, such as ESA, NASA, JAXA… Our technological quality turns essential components and equipment into a reality for all kinds of satellites in Earth orbit and for interplanetary exploration.

History of SENER’s involvement in space programmes

Electromechanical Systems

We began our space odyssey by developing structural mechanisms and components. Today we are a key supplier of electromechanical components and systems for the European Space Agency (ESA) including deployable systems, high precision pointing and positioning systems, sweeping systems, as well as gripping and release systems. Our equipment includes different functional elements and their integration within the electromechanical system including radio frequency, optics, power and thrust systems, etc., adapting the system to our clients’ needs.

We have more than half a century of experience in the design, manufacture, verification and final integration of critical electromechanical components and systems for space, with 100% reliability: in all our space history, none of the hundreds of pieces of equipment supplied by Sener Aerospace & Defence have recorded any failure in flight.

Rotary Actuators

Sener’s DTA family of rotary actuators is based on electric motors designed and manufactured in our own facilities. This allows us to benefit from full vertical integration and have control over all design and MAIT (Manufacturing, Assembly, Inspection and Test) activities.

Our DTA actuators are available in a variety of diameters from 2 to 10 centimeters with kinematic chains, position sensors, heaters, connectors, etc. They are characterized by high holding torque and outstanding technical performance, in addition to being used in scientific missions, institutional missions and commercial telecommunications platforms.

At Sener, we have been mass-producing them since 2017 and they can be integrated into a wide variety of mission-critical subsystems, such as pointing, deployment and electric propulsion mechanisms, both of our own design and production and those of external clients.

Devices for Space Applications

Our systems include mechanism and electronic control for other features and functionalities such as antennas, robotic elements, autonomous connections, orbital docking systems, landing gear, launcher motor vectoring, ground sample capture and analysis, gates, crew support systems, and instrument structures and benches.

Devices and Electronics for Scientific Payloads

We perform both systems engineering as well as equipment and devices for a wide range of science and biomedical research and applications in manned space flights.

For on-board instrumentation, we collaborate with the scientific community designing and implementing both the mechanisms and the electronics for said instruments in the field of:

• Filter wheels and mechanisms with their corresponding electronics and control software (ROSETTA, GAIA M2M, Euclid M2M, JUICE-JANUS, ARIEL M2M).
• Power supplies for instrument subsystems (JUICE-GALA, Comet Interceptor, EnVision).
• Instrument control electronics (SO-PHI, LISA Pathfinder DMU).
• Proximity electronics for detectors (World Space Observatory – WSO).

Contact Details for Mechanical Products

Eduardo Urgoiti
T: +34 944 817 604
M: +34 607 204 475
Avda. de Zugazarte 56
48930 Getxo (Bizkaia) – España
Website: www.aerospace.sener
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/sener