ESMATS 2023

20th European Space Mechanisms
and Tribology Symposium
Organised by Astronika Sp z o.o.
20th - 22nd September, 2023
and Tribology Symposium
Organised by Astronika Sp z o.o.
20th - 22nd September, 2023
TRAINING COURSES
As with previous ESMATS there will be a number of Mechanism and Tribology related Training Courses associated with the symposium. Full details will be released shortly but the following table outlines the currently planned training courses. Interested persons should note that a maximum number of participants may apply for these courses and as such that we encourage attendees to register as soon as possible.
Please note that these courses are not part of ESMATS 2023 and have to be booked and paid for separately via the registration link.
No | Course Name – Details | Organiser | Link | Register |
1 | Advanced Mechanisms Design Course (AMDC) In person, September 18th and 19th, 2023 |
European Space Agency (ESA, NL) | AMDC | Registration Closed |
2 | Space Tribology Course (STC) In person, September 18th and 19th, 2023 |
European Space Tribology Laboratory (ESTL, UK) | STC | Register |
3 | Compliant Mechanisms Design Course (CMDC) In person, September 18th and 19th, 2023 |
Centre Suisse d’Electronique et Microtechnique (CSEM, CH) | CMDC | Register |
4 | Fundamentals of Space Vehicle Mechanisms Course (FVSM) In person, September 18th and 19th, 2023 |
Launchspace (USA) | FVSM | Register |
5 | Cabaret Ball Bearing Software Training Course On-line, September 11th and 12th, 2023 – pm only |
European Space Tribology Laboratory (ESTL, UK) | Cabaret | Course Finished |
Due to the nature of the information that will be provided during these courses there are restictions on who will be able to attend and access the course materials. All training courses and supporting documentation will be in English.
Please note that the AMDC, CMDC and STC courses are being held at:
ADN Conference Center
Browary Warszawskie
Building GH; Entrance B
ul. Grzybowska 56
00-844 Warsaw
Venue Reception Phone No. : +48 22 208 21 12
Website: https://ckadn.pl/
Venue Location Map: https://ckadn.pl/kontakt
Marker | |
![]() |
Polin Museum (Location of ESMATS 2023 and cocktail reception Wednesday 20th September ) |
![]() |
Arkady Kubickiego (Location of Conference dinner Thursday 21st September ) |
![]() |
ADN Conference Center (Training) |
![]() |
Central Railway Station |
![]() |
Chopin Airport (Located south of Warsaw – Zoom and pan map to expose) |
![]() |
Modin Airport (Located north-west of Warsaw – Zoom and pan map to expose) |
![]() |
Suggested Hotels |
![]() |
Astronika |
Advanced Mechanisms Design Course
Prevention of Potential Problems!
Following on from the successful AMDC at previous ESMATS in 2017, 2019 and 2021 (on-line), ESA Mechanisms Section is proud to announce their updated training course on ‘Advanced Mechanisms Design’. This course gives practical knowledge of mechanism technologies in order to help mechanism engineers anticipate critical design decisions and avoid potential pitfalls during design, manufacturing and testing phases.
Rather than providing detailed design solutions for a specific mechanism type this course focuses on in depth understanding of key building blocks (e.g. ball bearings, electrical motors, gears) and important mechanism competency fields (e.g. tribology, … ) with the clear goal to identify potential design and verification issues early on and thus reducing programmatic impacts (cost, schedule) of the overall programme.
Agenda for 2023 | |
|
|
All attendees will receive a personal electronic copy of the presentation slides.
The course will be held on the 2 days prior to the ESMATS Symposium so that delegates can combine attendance of this course with attendance at the ESMATS Symposium itself. Registration for this course is now closed as it is fully booked. Due to the nature of the information that will be provided during the AMDC (ESA) course, it will be limited to ESA Member and Co-operating states (ONLY). |
Space Tribology Course
ESTL (the European Space Tribology Laboratory) presents this popular dedicated Space Tribology Course (STC) which draws heavily from experimental data generated as Europe’s longest running independent centre of excellence for space tribology.(now in its 51st year). The course, which is supplemented with latest data at each new presentation, has been running successfully since 1987 and presented on the two days immediately prior to ESMATS for some years.
![]() |
![]() |
Agenda
In 2023, the course, which is to be presented in-person provides a comprehensive overview of the many issues relating to friction, lubrication and wear of spacecraft mechanisms, which can be summarised in 5 parts:
- Fundamentals of Tribology – in which tribological concepts are introduced and the special considerations for space and vacuum tribology highlighted.
- Lubrication of Spacecraft Components – for which topics include:
- Selection of Lubricant types
- Solid Lubrication – Coatings
- Solid Lubrication – Self Lubricating Materials
- Fluid Lubricants – Selection and Performance
In these sessions, the application-driven considerations for selection of fluid or dry (solid) lubricants for tribo-components and surfaces are provided. This includes the considerations and typical performances of dry (solid) and fluid lubricants, respectively. Some practical issues concerning application, handling and preloading of ball bearings and testing of mechanisms where tribological performance is critical are also presented.
- Tribo-component Selection, Design and Performance – in which an overview of the different types, characteristics and performances of tribo-components (ball bearings, gears, plain and ball/rollerscrews, etc.) and main categories of materials and surface treatments used in spacecraft applications is provided. This includes a detailed presentation of considerations for design, selection and load capacity verification of ball bearings for space applications.
- Handling and Testing Tribo-components – covering handling and preloading bearings and testing tribo-components and mechanisms
- ESR Technology (ESTL) Case Histories and Lessons Learned – presenting a selection of the (sometimes painful!) lessons learned on various programmes.
The course is presented by experienced staff from ESR Technology (ESTL) with over 50+ combined years of space tribological experience and will be valuable both for younger engineers entering the industry and for the more experienced who may wish to refresh or challenge their tribological understanding.
Some feedback from previous delegates:
“I was very pleased with the course … did a wonderful job, I have no recommendations.”
“…great combination of theory, practical applications and real world examples.”
“… all I hoped for and more.”
“….it was excellent.”
Registration Restrictions
Please note that course participation is limited to delegates from entities registered in the ESA Member and Cooperating States (including Canada) plus USA (only) and some restrictions on document access apply as follows:
All attendees will receive access to a personal electronic copy of the presentation slides.
In addition, delegates from entities registered in the ESA Member and Co-operating states (ONLY) plus up to 5 identified colleagues within the same company will be given electronic (web based) access to the latest issue of our ‘Space Tribology Handbook’, our ‘Guidelines for Space Mechanism Ball Bearing Design, Assembly and Preloading’, and can elect to register for access to many other ESTL technical reports.
Subject to completion of a qualifying declaration, delegates from entities registered in the USA (and up to 5 identified colleagues within the same company who shall also complete the declaration) may receive access to the latest issue of our “Space Tribology Handbook” (ONLY).
Fees
As with previous years the course will be held on the 2 days prior to the ESMATS Symposium so that delegates can combine attendance of this course with attendance at the ESMATS Symposium itself.
The registration fee includes document access as identified above plus refreshment breaks and lunch each day.
Delegates can register for the STC presented by ESTL courtesy of Astronika’s registration system on this site. Please note that this course is not part of the ESMATS 2023 Symposium and an additional fee is payable for delegates attending this course.
ESTL Space Tribology Course
“Early Bird” Registration (on or before 30th June 2023) €850 (exclusive of any taxes payable)
Standard Registration (from 1st July 2023 onwards) €950 (exclusive of any taxes payable)
Compliant Mechanisms Design Course
Compliant Mechanisms (CM) are proposed to achieve macroscopic linear and rotary motions without friction, wear, backlash, and with extremely high fatigue performance thanks to the elastic deformation of flexible structures. They are used in harsh environments such as vacuum, cryogenic and space where friction is to be avoided while high-precision and a long lifetime are required.
While the potential of CM in space has already been proven over many years, their development can still be challenging. This course will address the complete development aspects for compliant mechanisms, comprising of design and analysis, manufacturing, assembly and testing focused on space systems. The recent advances on CM brought by additive manufacturing will also be presented.
This course is intended for engineers involved in the design, manufacturing and testing, for managers and anyone else interested in having a practical knowledge of the advantages and challenges of compliant mechanisms.
The course will cover the following subjects:
- Introduction to compliant mechanisms
- Presentation of space applications using compliant mechanisms
- Design principles and methodology (update)
- Finite Element Analysis guidelines (update)
- Material and lifetime aspects
- Subtractive and Additive Manufacturing guidelines (update)
- Failure modes and preventions
- Integration and testing guidelines
- Sensor and actuator selection and integration
- Specific control aspects for compliant systems
- ECSS standards
Please note that due to the nature of the information that will be provided, this course can only be provided to delegates from entities registered in the ESA Member and Co-operating states (ONLY). Applications from delegates from outside registered ESA member states and Co-operated states may be considered on a exceptional basis. Should they be permitted to attend they cannot take pictures nor have access to the electronic copy of the Hand-outs.
Documentation:
All attendees will receive a personal electronic copy of the presentation slides.
The course will be held on the 2 days prior to the ESMATS Symposium so that delegates can combine attendance of this course with attendance at the ESMATS Symposium itself.
The registration fee includes a personal electronic copy of the presentation slides plus refreshment breaks and lunch each day.
Delegates can register for the CMDC presented by CSEM courtesy of Astronika’s registration system on this site.
Note that this course is not part of the ESMATS 2023 Symposium and an additional fee of €850 (exclusive of any taxes) is payable for delegates attending this course.
For further information: Lionel Kiener CSEM SA
email: lionel.kiener[at]csem.ch
Fundamentals of Space Vehicle Mechanisms
Launchspace presents a special in-person course prior to the 2023 ESMATS Conference in September 2023.
A Special Live, In-Person Presentation in September.
Fundamentals of Space Vehicle Mechanisms is a special edition of the internationally popular course on this topic. The instructor, Bill Purdy, explores the technologies required for successful space mechanisms design and offers a detailed look at many of the key components common to most mechanisms. The materials necessary to achieve high performance are discussed. Examples of the many types of mechanisms are included for illustration. In addition, mechanisms’ relationships and interfaces with other vehicle systems are explored. The course includes design and analysis examples to demonstrate principles involved in understanding how mechanisms should work and how design margins should be evaluated during the evolution of a program.
If you want to pick the right type of motor for your application, lubrication for your application or angular measurement device for your application, then this is the right course. You will learn the fundamentals of space mechanisms from a leading mechanisms expert. A unique benefit is the instructor’s sharing of his experience and lessons learned.
This course is at the right level for someone:
- With less than 15 years of experience with space mechanisms
- Who is responsible for the design of aerospace mechanisms
- Tasked with analysis activities in thermal or structural elements of mechanisms
- With responsibility for developing drive electronics for mechanisms or
- Tasked with systems work related to implementing mechanisms
Course topics include:
- Mechanisms used in space vehicle
- Pointing subsystems, motors and feedback devices
- Bearings, gears and lubrication fundamentals
- Release and deployment systems
- Power transfer and slip rings
- Mechanisms analysis
- Critical materials for mechanisms
- Spacecraft – mechanism interfaces and sources of mechanism requirements
Instructor:
Bill Purdy has over 30 years of hands-on experience in the space engineering field with wide-ranging involvement in both spacecraft mechanisms and systems engineering disciplines. He has been one of the leaders of the space mechanism industry’s transition from explosive release mechanisms to non-explosive devices. Mr. Purdy has been involved in 35 successfully flown spacecraft and has worked on over 50 flown mechanisms including gimbals, release mechanisms, deployables and many other types of mechanisms. He is the Associate Editor of the industry-standard handbook “Space Vehicle Mechanisms – Elements of Successful Design” and the author of the chapter on non-explosive release mechanisms. He has published many Aerospace Mechanisms Symposia Papers and was the 1999 winner of the Herzl Award. Mr. Purdy holds a BSME from the University of Maryland.
This course will be presented live and in-person in two sessions on September 18th and 19th, 2023, just prior to the 20th European Space Mechanisms and Tribology Symposium (ESMATS) in Warsaw, Poland. Registration for this course is separate from that of ESMATS, but is available directly with Launchspace Services. The total fee is US$795.00 per attendee. However, the early registration fee, until June 30, 2023, is US$695 per attendee.
Due to the nature of the information that will be provided during this courses attendance will be limited to ESA Member and Co-operating states and USA citizens (ONLY).
To register please use this link: Fundamentals of Space Vehicle Mechanisms Course
For further Information Contact:
Launchspace Services
+1.202.258.6133
CABARET – Ball Bearing Analysis Software Training Course
For the first time since the introduction of CABARET v3, in 2021, ESTL is offering, with support from ESA and under the auspices of ESMATS 2023, a training course for CABARET Users. The course is aimed at mechanisms engineers in need of mastering the software enabled workflows of bearing analysis for space mechanism design.
Agenda
The CABARET training course involves 4 x 1.5h sessions, delivered online using the Webex platform over 2 days, in the week prior to ESMATS 2023 (Monday 11/9 and Tuesday 12/9 afternoons only).
The sessions will cover the following:
- Introduction to CABARET – Aim is to familiarise all participants with the software and ensure they can use it autonomously: running analyses, building assemblies, and collecting results.
- Quasi-Static Analysis – Aim is to train common workflows involved in margin calculations of stresses, truncation, gapping, stiffness, preload (hard and soft), and inverse analysis.
- Torque/Power – Aim is to teach the use of torque estimations, fluid lubricant properties, thermal matrix, lubrication regime analyses, and lubricant selection trade-offs.
- Working with the Bearing Sizing Guideline – Aim is to train the application of the guideline in initial bearing selection, PDR/CDR level designs using the software.
The sessions will involve short presentations of features and concepts, followed by longer exercises, which participants are going to solve under supervision.
Questions by participants will be collected ahead of the course and be addressed in a Q&A segment at the end of the relevant session.
About CABARET
CABARET is a code applicable to analysis of ball bearings operating at all speeds under general loading. Its use permits design and selection of ball bearings, materials and lubricants as well as prediction of bearing performance for a range of applications from low-speed mechanisms to high-speed turbopumps (the application for which it was originally developed).
CABARET integrates analyses for a number of features important in space ball-bearing performance in a single code:
- Quasi-Static Analysis: Stiffness, Gapping, Truncation, Thermal, Fits, and Dilation effects.
- Torque/Power Analysis: Coulombic Torque, Fluid traction, Fluid Power Losses.
- Thermal effects: Flash Temperature, Thermal and Centrifugal Strain Effects, Thermal Conductance.
- Cage Motion: Stability, Friction and Wear.
- Fatigue Life
- Vibration Analysis
- Sensitivity Analysis
- Libraries: Materials, Fluids, Bearings.
- Modern GUI: Matlab-based App, standalone (no Matlab license required).
Registration restrictions
Participants in the training course are required to obtain a CABARET sub-license for their institution prior to registration. Therefore, participation in the course is restricted to companies or institutions within ESA Member and Cooperating States (including Canada), who are entitled to a free-of-charge sub-licence of the software. To obtain access under an ESA sub-licence for space applications and if your company or institution is in an ESA member state, please download, fill in and sign the following form and return it to Dr Achilleas Vortselas:
achilleas.vortselas@esrtechnology.com
To download the sublicence click here
Participants can then register via the ESMATS conference registration page. Registration to the course is independent of participation in the conference or in any of the other training courses.
About the Presenter
Achilleas Vortselas has been working at ESTL since 2018, as the developper of CABARET.
· Dr Achilleas Vortselas, Research Engineer
achilleas.vortselas@esrtechnology.com +44 (0)1925 843401 LinkedIn Profile
ESR Technology, with the support of the European Space Agency, operates the European Space Tribology Laboratory (ESTL), Europe’s focus for expertise in space tribology for over 50 years. ESTL specialises in providing quality solutions to friction, wear and lubrication issues relating to the precision mechanisms that operate in the vacuum environment of space, or in terrestrial vacuum applications. For any queries about the course or ESTL, please contact Mr Simon Lewis.
· Simon Lewis, Manager, ESTL
Simon.Lewis@esrtechnology.com +44 (0)1925 843451 LinkedIn Profile
Fees
The CABARET training course involves 4x 1.5h sessions, delivered online over 2 days, in the week ahead of ESMATS 2023 (Monday 11/9 and Tuesday 12/9 in the afternoon).
The registration fee includes secure access to all course materials (presentations and exercises) required.
Delegates can register for the CABARET Course presented by ESTL courtesy of Astronika’s registration system on this site. But this course is not part of the ESMATS 2023 Symposium and an additional fee is payable by participants for this on-line course.
ESTL CABARET Course
“Early Bird” Registration (on or before 30th June 2023) €400 (exclusive of any taxes payable)
Standard Registration (from 1st July 2023 onwards) €450 (exclusive of any taxes payable)