SSP18 Special Space and the Netherlands Editor-in-chiefs note:

The magazine you have in your hands right now is the world’s longest running space magazine, being published by the Netherlands Space Society NVR continuously 5 since 1951. The frequency of publication has varied over time, but in recent years we have managed to publish the magazine four times a year, each edition with 48 pages of content. Occasionally we publish a special issue focussing on a distinct topic such as small satellites, space telescopes, atmospheric research, and spin offs, or for a special event such as an International Astronautical Congress being hosted in the Netherlands. The current issue is especially prepared for the 31st annual Space Studies Program (SSP) session of the International Space University (ISU) that will convene in the Netherlands during the summer of 2018. Most of the content is written by NVR corperate members, a membership exclusively for companies and institutes. The NVR counts more than thirty corporate members, ranging from large companies and institutes to start-ups, which are making use of the benefits and network advantages such a membership offers. In addition, we boast a network of more than 1000 individual members – and counting. These range from students 22 (free membership) and space enthusiasts to established professionals. We organise community building functions such as film nights, symposia, lectures and much more, both independently and in collaboration with our corporate members. This special issue of our ‘Ruimtevaart’ magazine was created by guest editor Nick Kivits with copy editing support from our executive editors Frank Wokke and Michel van Pelt. We hope that the magazine will provide you with a good overview of the space sector in the Netherlands. We thank all authors, and especially Nick, for their contributions.

Peter Buist

Nederlandse Vereniging voor Ruimtevaart (NVR)

Board Event Committee Honorary Members 29 The board of the NVR is chosen by Ir. P.A.W. Batenburg (Chairman) Ir. D. de Hoop its members and consists of: D. van Beekhuizen Prof. Dr. C. de Jager Dr. Ir. G.J. Blaauw (Chairman) Ir. S. de Jong Drs. A. Kuipers Ir. L. van der Wal (Vice-chairman) Ing. R.H. Linde Ir. J.H. de Koomen Drs. B. ten Berge (Secretary) Ir. S. Petrovic Ir. H.J.D. Reijnen Ir. M. de Brouwer (Treasurer) Ir. N. Silvestri P. Smolders Ir. P.A.W. Batenburg D. Stefoudi Prof. Ir. K.F. Wakker Dr. Ir. P.J. Buist Ir. L. van der Wal D. Jeyakodi LLM Dr. P. Wesselius Contact Mr. F.N.E. van ’t Klooster Richelle Scheffers Dr. Ir. C. Verhoeven Audit Committee Kapteynstraat 1 Ir. J.A. Meijer 2201 BB Noordwijk Editorial Team Ruimtevaart Ir. Z. Pronk [email protected] Nick Kivits (Guest editor) Drs. T. Wierenga www.ruimtevaart-nvr.nl Dr. Ir. P.J. Buist (Editor-in-chief) ISSN 1382-2446 Ir. M.O. van Pelt (Associate editor) Ir. F.J.P. Wokke (Associate editor) Copyright © 2018 NVR Ir. P.A.W. Batenburg All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, Drs. P.G. van Diepen distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means without explicit Ir. E.A. Kuijpers permission of the Netherlands Space Society (NVR). Neither the NVR Ing. M.C.A.M. van der List or the printer can be held accountable for any mistakes, printing and 30 Ir. H.M. Sanders MBA typing errors.

Website Committee Copy Drs. B. ten Berge (Chairman) Should you want to contribute to future editions of Ruimtevaart or D. Jeyakodi LLM should you have any suggestions, feel free to contact our editors at [email protected]. We reserve the right to shorten or Social Media Committee decline any and all submitted pieces. Mr. S.V. Pieterse (Chairman) Drs. B. ten Berge Design and layout D. Stefoudi Esger Brunner/NNV Drs. Ing. R. Timmermans F. Roelfsema Printer Ten Brink, Meppel

2 Ruimtevaart 2018 | 3 4 A Sizzling Summer of Space 32 5 The Netherlands is all about space 13 Dutch involvement in famous space missions 16 Netherlands Space Society - NVR 17 NSO 18 Airbus Defence and Space Netherlands 20 LioniX International BV 20 MELiSSA 21 HE Space 38 22 Netherlands Aerospace Centre 24 Aerospace Propulsion Products 25 CGI 26 SRON 28 Airborne 28 SBIC Noordwijk 29 Ajilon 30 Inmarsat 42 32 Leiden Observatory 32 Lens R&D 33 cosine 34 TU Delft Space Institute 36 Sapienza Consulting 37 European Test Services B.V. 38 ISIS 40 Hyperion Technologies 46 40 JIVE 41 S[&]T Corp. 42 Bradford Engineering 44 Space Expo 44 T-Minus Engineering 45 Terma BV 46 TNO

Ruimtevaart 2018 | 3 3 A Sizzling Summer Spaceof Nico van Putten, Deputy Director of Netherlands Space Office, the formal local SSP18 host organisation

Can the Netherlands host a Space Studies Program (SSP)? The done. The International Space Station (ISS) is a good example of journey to find the answer to that question started in 2013, when collaboration but in our view space in itself has this spirit as well. the Netherlands Space Office (NSO) initiated a feasibility study The Netherlands absolutely is a country of space, which not only in order to analyse the possibilities. What are the potential Dutch houses the European Space Agency’s Research and Technology contributions to the academic program? What are the major lo- Centre (ESA-ESTEC) testing facility (the largest ESA-facility in gistic conditions? What are the budget requirements? And how all of Europe) and the Galileo Reference Center (GRC), but also strong is the support of key organisations and institutions? hosts a vast array of small, medium and large space companies And now, five years later, here we are. The summer of 2018 will and institutes. The work of ESTEC is focussed on developing, be a ‘Sizzling Summer of Space’ in the Netherlands, with the building and testing advanced high-tech systems and compo- organisation of the 31st annual Space Studies Program in close nents for many ESA missions and beyond. GRC independently cooperation with the International Space University (ISU) and an monitors the signal of the Galileo system and will create new extensive programme of space activities for the general public. business opportunities. Companies and institutes develop During nine weeks, ISU and the Netherlands – as a cooperation ground breaking technology or satellite applications that offer between the NSO, Delft University of Technology, Leiden Uni- solutions to global challenges. versity and ESA-ESTEC – will offer a programme for 130 inter- In the Netherlands alone, about thirty companies develop and build national young space professionals in the fields of seven distinct these systems. Aside from that, more than forty user institutes, disciplines and dedicated team projects. space organisations, laboratories, and universities are actively in- After almost four weeks of core lectures and workshops, often volved in projects in the field of space science, Earth observation, given by the very best specialists, academics and astronauts meteorology, communications, navigation and space technology. from all over the world, the participants get to choose one of Without these Dutch companies and organisations, space as we the seven disciplines to specialize in: space science, space en- know it would look very different. And not just space, but also the gineering, space applications, human performance in space, Netherlands itself. Every euro spent in the Dutch space industry, space humanities, space policy, economics and law and space gives an estimated return on investment of two to five euros. management and business. Moreover, they learn to work in an The Netherlands and space are closely linked. That is why the international, intercultural and interdisciplinary environment. Nederlandse Vereniging voor Ruimtevaart (NVR) presents to you this special edition of our magazine Ruimtevaart. This edi- The Netherlands and space tion will give you a look into the Dutch space sector. How big is Along the way, participants of the Space Studies Program learn a it? Who are active in it? What are the success stories? And what lot about the role the Netherlands play in the international space will the future hold? community. In fact the ISU SSP network gives all of us a tremen- I am happy the NVR used the ISU SSP as an occasion to highlight dous opportunity to work together in the spirit space has always this and I hope you enjoy this magazine as much as I will.

4 Ruimtevaart 2018 | 3 The Netherlands is all about space

How big is the role of the Netherlands in space?

The Netherlands at night, as seen from space. [ESA / André Kuipers]

Space in Europe has always been an recreates the cryogenic temperatures Two years later – in March 1961 – the international affair, in which a lot that all satellites and probes have to deal European Preparatory Commission for of different countries have banded with in space. Entering the LSS without Space Research (COPERS) started explor- together to conduct research a pressure suit would spell certain doom. ing the possibilities. At the first COPERS and launch technology into orbit. Just like space. convention a council of European space The Netherlands has played an scientists was formed, with the Dutch important part in space for well Indefinitely linked to space professor Hendrik van der Hulst being over fifty years. Having ESA’s test centre located in one of the scientists. Seven months Nick Kivits Noordwijk has inextricably linked the later – in October – a 77-page document Netherlands to space. And that has was presented, which outlined ESRO’s Satellites and probes that want to visit been the case for many years. An old scientific programme and its technology space have a big trip ahead of them. Be- “Polygoon” journal from 1968 – which centre, among others things. fore they can leave the Earth’s atmos- was shown in movie theatres at the time In March 1962 the Netherlands was one of phere they have to be placed atop a rocket and can still be seen on YouTube – took the countries (alongside Belgium, France, which shoots them up with a speed of at viewers inside the test centre for the first Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and least 7.9 kilometres per second. But there time, complete with unsettling “alien” associate member Australia) which stood is another way to access the vacuum of bleeps and pings as a soundtrack. The at the cradle of ELDO, the European space. Hidden behind the sand dunes of journal talks about the testing of the first Launch Development Organisation, a re- the small Dutch town Noordwijk is a little European satellite ESRO-1. That same search organisation developing rockets to piece of space. Right here on Earth. It is year ESTEC was officially opened by her launch satellites to space. Two years later, the Large Space Simulator (LSS), one of royal highness, Princess Beatrix. Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, the test chambers of ESTEC, the techni- But the Dutch link with space didn’t start Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, cal management facility and test centre with the construction of ESTEC: the Switzerland and the United Kingdom of the European Space Agency (ESA). Netherlands was one of the founding founded ESRO. The Netherlands has Standing in front of the LSS it is hard to members of ESRO, the European Space since remained front and centre in the see what’s going on inside the fifteen Research Organisation, the precursor to space business. ESRO and ELDO were meter high and ten meter wide chamber. ESA. When a small group of European sci- merged to form the European Space Inside, full-sized spacecraft are being entists – led by the Italian Edoardo Amaldi Agency (ESA) in 1975, in which the Neth- exposed to some of the hostilities of and the Frenchman Pierre Auger, who erlands has played a key role ever since. space. A vacuum is created by pumping were both key actors in the process of set- all the air out of the room, while a huge ting up CERN, the European organisation The space chain gantry of extremely bright xenon lights for nuclear research – started talking about In 2018, the space sector in the Nether- reproduces the light of the Sun. Liquid forming a joint space organisation in 1959, lands has an annual revenue of 140 mil- nitrogen circulating around the room the Netherlands quickly showed interest. lion euro. There are over 4,000 employees

Ruimtevaart 2018 | 3 5 The first satellite in the Netherlands

ESA’s very first satellite, ESRO-1, was also the first satellite tested in the Netherlands. Fifty years ago this summer, ESRO- 1A arrived at ESTEC. After testing it was launched in October of that same year. It concentrated on measuring solar and cosmic radiation and its interaction with Earth. The satellite re-entered Earth’s atmosphere in June of 1970.

ESRO-1 being tested at ESTEC. [ESA] ESTEC: simulating the hostilities of space

Virtually all spacecraft built by Europe have to pass through the platforms. The QUAD Shaker is used to give satellites and probes Netherlands on their way to space. Right next to the sand dunes a good rattle. Rocket launches not only produce a lot of sounds, of Noordwijk lies ESTEC, the European Space Research and but also a lot of vibrations. The QUAD Shaker simulates these Technology Centre. It incorporates the largest testing facility by as much as 2000 vibrations per second. The idea being that if for spacecraft in Europe, where satellites and probes planned a screw falls out, it’s better to know on the ground then during to leave Earth’s atmosphere are exposed to all the hostilities of launch. It can produce up to 20 G of force, which would make space. almost all human beings pass out and see stars. Aside from the Large Space Simulator – which is mentioned on These are just some of the testing facilities ESTEC houses. At the next page – ESTEC’s test centre houses a number of unique ESTEC, over 2500 people from over twenty countries are working simulation chambers. One of which is Hertz, a huge chamber every day to make the European space missions a success. lined with foam spikes that are meant to absorb radio waves, but They not only test spacecraft, but also design the missions and do the same for sound waves. The foam spikes are so adept at manage their development. With this centre being located in this, that entering the room and shutting the door behind you Noordwijk, it truly makes the Netherlands a hotspot for space. creates such silence that one can hear their own blood flow. The Hertz chamber simulates the eerie silence of space and is used to test antennas for spacecraft. Although space itself is silent, the road to it is filled with noise. A rocket launch can create over 200 decibels of sound (in at least one instance the launch of a Saturn V rocket produced 204 dB). Sound waves are basically vibrations, and vibrations – if strong enough – can destroy materials. That’s why European spacecraft get placed in the Large European Acoustic Facility (LEAF), which is a room connected to enormous sound horns. These horns recreate the sounds of a rocket launch, to check if the tested probes and satellites don’t fall apart. Testing the integrity of a spacecraft structure is also the goal of the QUAD Shaker, which is the biggest of all of ESTEC’s shaking Start of the construction of ESTEC in 1965. [ESA] The European Union and space

Prepare for the increasing role of space in the future and reap by setting up a space surveillance and tracking system. the benefits of space now. With that mission the European The programme strengthens the European competitiveness Commission set-up the space components of Horizon 2020, in space, the utilisation of investments in space infrastructure the eighth European framework programme for research and for civilians and looks to increase Europe’s attractiveness as technological development. a partner for international cooperation in space research and The programme funds a wide variety of research and innovation exploration. projects. It covers not only the two European space flagships, For the period of 2021 to 2027, the European Commission namely Galileo (for satnav) and Copernicus (for Earth observation), proposes for its space programme a total budget of over 15,000 but also focuses on protecting the Earth and space infrastructure million euro.

6 Ruimtevaart 2018 | 3 MetOp being tested in the Large Space Simulator. [ESA] working directly in the space sector. Leiden and Amsterdam all conduct solar panels, solar sensors and astrophys- While – according to studies done by the research in the fields of astronomy and ics instruments, but also testing equip- Organisation for Economic Cooperation astrophysics, in which they work closely ment for use on the ground. and Development (OECD) – every euro together with the Netherlands Institute The biggest space company in the coun- invested in space yields 1.5 euro in return, for Space Research (SRON). Simultane- try is Airbus Defence and Space Nether- space investments in the Netherlands ously the Wageningen University, the lands (Airbus DS NL), which started as a have a much higher return. Because of Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) subsidiary of the Dutch airplane manufac- the scope of the space sector and because and the universities of Amsterdam and turer Fokker in 1995 (then named Fokker ESTEC is located in the Netherlands, Utrecht are active in the fields of Earth Space). The company – which changed its every euro invested in the Dutch space observation, Earth sciences and meteor- name to Dutch Space in 2002 and became sector boasts a profit of five to six euro. ology. part of the Airbus group under the name Money well spent. And that is just the tip of the iceberg. The Airbus DS NL three years later – built the The space sector in the Netherlands in- universities of Amsterdam and Utrecht solar panels that allowed ESA’s Rosetta cludes a number of companies and insti- are also active in the field of planetary spacecraft to chase down the comet 67P/ tutions, all of which are linked together. research. The previously mentioned TU Churyumov-Gerasimenko for ten years. This year for instance, Airbus Defence Delft calculates precise orbits, does mate- Airbus Defence and Space Netherlands is & Space Netherlands in Leiden opened rial research and builds its own satellites, also one of the oldest space companies in a new assembly facility for producing one of which – the Brik II – is developed in the country, building upon the space her- parts that are necessary for launching cooperation with the Royal Netherlands itage of Fokker. Another space company European rockets. Those rockets bring Air Force. Brik II is planned to be launched with a long history is Bradford Engineer- all kinds of satellites to orbit which are in 2019. The Technical University Eind- ing, which was founded in 1984. Bradford used by a number of space and non-space hoven and the Technical University Twen- has contributed to over one hundred suc- companies. Data gathered by these te are also active in space, working on cessful missions, and has built over 1600 satellites provide farmers with accurate new antennas, telecommunications, me- products which have successfully been weather forecasts, help companies track teorology and nanotechnology. Naming flown to space. Besides products like lost possessions and allow us to com- all of the accomplishments and research valves for satellites, the ATV spacecraft municate with each other, among many projects going on in the Netherlands right and the ISS, the company built glove other things. Not only in the Netherlands now would turn this magazine into a very boxes which were, and still are, used for itself, but worldwide. (very!) thick book. researching materials and biological sys- The Dutch space chain includes R&D in- tems on the ISS. It also built sun sensors stitutes, companies, laboratories and uni- Dutch work on European projects for satellites and constellations like the versities, many of which conduct scientific All in all, over thirty Dutch companies European satnav constellation Galileo research with the help of the space sector. build high quality products, instruments, and the Iridium satcom constellation. The universities of Nijmegen, Groningen, components and software for space, like Galileo is one of the key space pro-

Ruimtevaart 2018 | 3 7 Big in small satellites

Good things come in small packages. And that is especially true for platforms for single missions and constellations, tailored to the small satellites, some of which are no bigger than a milk carton. The needs of the mission at hand. The company also brings the small Netherlands is a frontrunner in the field of small satellites. In 2016 satellites to space through its subsidiary ISL showing that a small the Netherlands Aerospace Centre was put in charge of a European country like the Netherlands is big in the field of small satellites. research program to look into the possibilities that a dedicated launcher for so called CubeSats can bring to the table. Because of their size and weight, launching CubeSats is a lot cheaper than launching big satellites. This makes it easier for newcomers to catch a break in the space sector. “To stimulate the use of CubeSats, the launching price should be brought down to 50,000 euro per kilogram”, said MEP Cora van Nieuwenhuizen in 2016 at the start of the project, for which the European Union reserved four million euro. “One of the goals of this initiative is to make this a reality.” Cubesats provide universities the opportunity to conduct more research in space. TU Delft is one of the institutes that already uses CubeSats. In 2008 it launched its first small satellite – Delfi-C3 – into space. Delfi-C3 was completely developed by students at the university and was the first nanosatellite hailing from the Netherlands. It carried new types of solar cells, a solar sensor developed by TNO, and a high-efficiency amateur radio transceiver to space. Although Delfi-C3 was meant to only last one year, it is still operational ten years later. In 2013 the TU Delft followed up on the project with the launch of Delfi-n3xt, a nanosatellite built by students that is testing out new space technology and innovations in space. The Delfi-C3 project also indirectly led to the formation of Innovative Solutions The Delfi-C3 satellite was built by students of the Delft University in Space (ISIS), one of the leading companies in the fast-growing of Technology and has been in space for ten years. [Delft University of Technology] small satellite market. ISIS now designs and delivers small satellite Astronauts from the low lands

Throughout history, over five hundred people have left Earth’s atmosphere and travelled into space. Of these travellers, three were born in the Netherlands. In April and May of 1985, scientist Lodewijk van den Berg flew aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger, for an eight-day trip. During the trip Van den Berg researched the growth of crystals in space. Only six months later, our fellow countryman Wubbo Ockels went to orbit, also aboard Challenger. Because Van den Berg lived and worked in the United States and had become a US citizen a year before his flight, Ockels is widely regarded as the first Dutch person in space. During his one-week stay (from October 30 to November 6, 1985) Ockels and the rest of his crew conducted over 75 experiments in fields ranging from physiological sciences and materials science to biology and navigation. After Ockels, it took almost twenty years for another Dutchman to fly to space. In 2004 André Kuipers flew to the International Space Station (ISS) for an eleven-day mission, during which he conducted 21 experiments. Kuipers also involved children from The Dutch astronaut André Kuipers floating in the ISS. [ESA] primary schools in one of his experiments, in which he grew plants in space while the children did the same on Earth. Kuipers space multiple times. Kuipers returned to the ISS for a period of then compared his plants with those of the children, as part of an six months, to live and work in space. During the trip he broke educational space programme. the record for longest stay in space of any European. The record In 2011 André Kuipers became the only Dutch astronaut to fly to is currently held by the Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli.

8 Ruimtevaart 2018 | 3 Representatives of the Royal Netherlands Airforce, ISIS, National Aerospace Laboratory and TU Delft, with a Brik-II model. [Dutch Ministry of Defence] grammes started by the European Union. As a matter of fact, it is not only the big- gest European space project off all time, but actually the biggest single infrastruc- tural project funded at European level. And the Netherlands has a major role in it. Not only does the aforementioned Brad- ford provide the sun sensors for the satel- lites (fun fact: one of the satellites carries the Dutch name ‘Tijmen’ as a nickname), also the solar panels and software used are made in the Netherlands (by Airbus DS NL and CGI respectively). ESTEC is the place where the technical development of the current system was managed and where also the next gen- eration takes place. The performance is monitored in Noordwijk by the Galileo Reference Centre (GRC), a technical cen- tre of the European GNSS Agency (GSA), established right next door to ESTEC. The GSA is the EU agency responsible for op- erating and managing the Galileo system. Aside from Galileo, the Netherlands also plays a big part in another big European space project. Copernicus is the largest single Earth observation programme in the world, which looks to build a network of satellites to monitor Earth. It does so by launching a slew of Sentinel satellites into space, which provide radar imaging of land and oceans (Sentinel-1), high reso- lution optical imaging (Sentinel-2), ocean Sentinel-5P’s TROPOMI-instrument – which was made in the Netherlands – sees nitrogen and land monitoring (Sentinel-3) and data dioxide over Europe. [ESA]

Ruimtevaart 2018 | 3 9 Investing in space

A few years back, Dutch government investments in space were organisation, according to the Netherlands Space Office. Aside on the fence. Back in 2011, at the high point of the economic crisis from this mandatory contribution, the country invests almost 20 that was sweeping over Europe, the Dutch government decided to million euro a year to ESA’s Earth observation programmes and cut back on its space budget by tens of millions of euro, dropping the development of new technologies. from 100 million in 2012 to 63 million euro in 2015. After protest The remaining part of the budget is invested in national from the space sector, strengthened by the success of the then programmes, which stimulate the Dutch market by helping recent space mission of Dutch astronaut André Kuipers, the House companies and organisations reach their full potential. The of Representatives (Tweede Kamer) voted against the cutbacks. Netherlands is also active in EU space programs, like Galileo Currently the Dutch space budget stands at 94 million euro and Copernicus, and has multiple Memoranda of Understanding annually, at least for this year and 2019. Every year the Netherlands with countries like Japan, China, South Korea and Kazakhstan, contribute 42 million euro to ESA as part of its membership to the declaring the intent to work together on space related subjects. The future is bright

For decades, the Netherlands has been front and centre in the builds systems that allow sports teams to track their players’ space sector. And that is not likely to change anytime soon. All movements on the field. The system consists of wearable sensors across the country, companies are working on products that that use precise GNSS services to track movement, acceleration, incorporate space technology. speed and locations of players. JOHAN Sports, which is already One of the more ambitious ones is Hiber, which looks to build an being used by different sports teams, allows trainers to make the Internet of Things (IoT) network with the help of small satellites. ideal training schedule for each individual player, thus helping The company is set to launch its first satellites this summer. them get better results. Hiber develops small modems which can be placed on all kinds These are just some of the examples of Dutch businesses that of moving objects, ranging from fishing boats to train units. The use space to build a better world. modems communicate with the satellites, which in the future should provide a near real-time location service for companies. Satellites are key in many of the Dutch space tech innovations being worked on today. Viridian Raven – a participant of ESA’s Business Incubation Centre (BIC) in Noordwijk and winner of the 2015 ESA App Camp in Barcelona – uses satellite data to assess forest areas for possible damage by insects. The system can scan trees for weaknesses and predict an attack by bark beetles, a type of beetle that feasts on trees. At JOHAN Sports, satellites are used for their localisation SBIC startup JOHAN Sports uses satellite data to track football capabilities. The company – also a member of ESA’s BIC – players on the field. [JOHAN Sports] Dutch astronomy

The Dutch have always been an inventive people. The country radio-astronomy. During the twentieth century he conducted has provided the world with lots of interesting inventions, research into star systems. Oort was the scientist who discov- ranging from submarines to the compact disc. Here are three ered that the Milky Way is not standing still, but rotates like a (well, actually four) famous Dutch scientists and inventors who giant wheel. He also pointed out that each of the stars in our contributed a lot to the discovery of space. galaxy travels independently through space. By the time of 1. Christiaan Huygens – Looking back on his accomplishments, his death in 1992 – he was 92 years old – he was recognised it’s not surprising that Christiaan Huygens was voted ‘greatest as one of the greatest astronomers of the twentieth century. Dutch scientist of all time’ back in 2016. During the seven- 3. Hans Lippershey (or Zacharias Jansen) – Although it was teenth century Huygens was active in many scientific fields, Galileo Galilei who first thought of the idea to point a tele- ranging from math and physics to astronomy. He is widely scope to the sky, it was a Dutchman who actually invented the regarded as the father of theoretical physics. He also discov- ‘viewing tube’. But… which one? Both spectacle-makers Hans ered the Saturn-moon Titan and was the first to present an Lippershey and Zacharias Jansen claimed to be the inventor. explanation for Saturn’s rings. Lippershey applied the first patent in 1608, but Jansen – ac- 2. Jan Hendrik Oort – The Oort Cloud is an extended shell of icy cording to his son – already invented the ‘tube to see things objects that circle the outer most part of our solar system. afar’ in 1590. Whoever is right, one thing is for sure: the tel- It is named after Jan Hendrik Oort, who was a pioneer in escope was invented in the Netherlands.

10 Ruimtevaart 2018 | 3 The Galileo Reference Center in Noordwijk monitors the signal of the Galileo system and creates new business opportunities. [Van Rhijn Bouw] for atmospheric composition monitoring the Société Européenne des Satellites than a soda can – are revolutionising the (Sentinel-4). (SES), the biggest commercial satellite space sector, providing satellite solutions The Dutch involvement in Copernicus is communications operator in the world at a fraction of the cost of their larger most extensive in the Sentinel-5 mission: and also the owner of the O3b satellite and more traditional counterparts. With the TROPOMI instrument aboard satellite network, also gained a foothold in The over ten years of experience in the field, Sentinel-5P – which maps air pollution in Hague when they acquired New Skies the Dutch company Innovative Solutions higher detail than ever before – was built Satellites N.V., which started out in 1998 in Space (ISIS) is one of the leader in the in the Netherlands as a joint effort of as a commercial spin-off of Intelsat. small satellite business, and a spinoff the Netherlands Space Office, the Royal Aside from communications, the Nether- of the TU Delft, which launched its first Netherlands Meteorological Institute lands is also very adept at using satellites nanosatellite Delfi-C3 to space as early as (KNMI), SRON, the Netherlands Or- to observe the Earth. With organisations 2008. ganisation for Applied Scientific Research such as TU Delft, SkyGeo, Sensar and (TNO) and Airbus DS NL. The satellite PPO.labs it is one of the leading countries A host of fields provided its first results in December in the field of InSAR (Interferometric Syn- Satellites – big or small – are vital for 2017, showing a map of nitrogen dioxide thetic Aperture Radar), a technique used many things that can only be done from pollution in Europe with disturbingly high to measure and calculate movement of space, but before they are of any use they concentrations of the gas in parts of Italy, ground surfaces. have to get there first. Aerospace Propul- Germany, Spain and… the Netherlands. The use of satellite data is stimulated sion Products (APP), a company in the in the Netherlands: the Dutch govern- small Dutch town of Klundert, helps them For the love of satellites ment shares its satellite data on the get there. APP designs, manufactures For such a small country, the Netherlands Netherlands with Dutch users through and qualifies ignition systems for the has always been big in using satellites to its Satellietdataportaal, free of charge. European Ariane and the smaller Vega our advantage. It’s for good reason that The Satellietdataportaal allows Dutch rockets, both developed by the European TomTom, the company that brought farmers to keep an eye on their crops Space Agency. satellite navigation to cars, was born right from space and gives local governments APP was originally founded by TNO. This here in 2001 (although its origins can be insight in soil subsidence in districts that organisation has been active in develop- traced back to ten years earlier). are built on soft grounds. It also provides ing optical instruments for over fifty years, And to this day satellites and the Dutch go value adding companies with basic data and it has also built large instruments for hand in hand. The Frisian town of Burum and imagery on which they can build their many European satellites, – in coopera- for example houses one of the biggest own services. tion with Dutch industry. Instruments de- Inmarsat facilities in the world. The facil- The Netherlands is also one of the front signed and built by TNO map air pollution ity controls fleets of Inmarsat-satellites, runners in the field of small satellites (see and make secure broadband connections which let users conduct calls and send also ‘Big in small satellites’). These min- possible, among other things. data from anywhere in the world. In 2004 iature artificial moons – some no bigger TNO develops technology which some-

Ruimtevaart 2018 | 3 11 Liftoff of ESA’s Vega booster, which transports small and medium sized satellites to orbit. [ESA]

times, like in the case of APP, leads to the few years, partly thanks to the emergence of trees that are likely to be on the menu founding of a stand-alone company. In of international companies like SpaceX of devastating bark beetles. other cases the organisation cooperates and Blue Origin. Because of this growth, Many of the solutions built at SBIC (and with companies to help them create their more and more satellites can and will be all around the space sector in the Neth- innovations. Because that’s what the launched to help us manage our lives on erlands) use satellite data in one way Netherlands is good at: bringing together Earth. or another. Data gathered by satellites different parties to make one great end- This asks a lot from the space sector, has become invaluable for our society, product. It’s part of our culture. which will continue to push itself to pro- both nationwide and globally, but also Aside from the companies and organisa- duce more ground breaking technology locally. Satellite data gives governments tions already mentioned, Dutch com- in the form of even smarter instruments the opportunity to optimise processes panies and institutes like Airborne Com- and more innovative launch systems. with smart solutions ranging from the posites, Ajilon Technology Aerospace, The past decade the sector has shown an monitoring of nature to keeping an eye CGI, cosine, ETS, HE Space, Hyperion annual growth of 4 to 5 per cent, which is on our dikes. It also allows aid agency’s Technologies, IP Star, Jive, Leidse Ster- one and a half times as much as the inter- to map disaster areas and provides accu- rewacht, Lens R&D, LioniX, Netherlands national average. According to the ‘Nota rate meteorological data, which can help Aerospace Centre, Planet Labs, S[&]T Ruimtevaart’, an advice report outlining predict extreme weather. Those smart Corp, Sapienza, SBIC, Space Expo, SRON, the Dutch government policy on space, solutions have to be designed, developed Terma and T-Minus (all of which have there is a lot of potential for further and built. The Dutch space sector has the taken the opportunity to tell you more growth. knowledge and experience to make that about themselves later on in this maga- Throughout history, the Netherlands happen. zine) are active in a host of fields, ranging has been leading in a number of fields, In the near future, society will become from instruments, propulsion, software, especially astrophysics and atmospheric more and more dependent on space. ground testing equipment, engineering research. But as a country we also look All of the big challenges that lie ahead – and nanosatellites. The Netherlands truly ahead to new opportunities in different ranging from sustainability and safety to is all about space. fields. Over at ESA’s Space Business In- migration and climate change – will be cubation Centre (SBIC) in Noordwijk for answered with information coming from Looking ahead example, a number of start-ups is using space. Space will therefore become even These past fifty plus years, the space space technology to develop new solu- more relevant to society and civilians sector in the Netherlands has laid a solid tions for problems on Earth. The solutions then it is now. As it has done for decades, foundation on which to continue building coming out of SBIC range from sensors the Dutch space sector will keep provid- for the future. In the coming decades a that can track the position of the Sun ing relevant contributions to international whole range of space related markets will more accurately (and at lower cost) then space projects to make our planet sus- flourish. The commercialisation of space current products, to monitoring systems tainable for future generations. We are has taken a huge leap forward these past that use satellite data to map the health indeed… all about space.

12 Ruimtevaart 2018 | 3 Dutch involvement in famous space missions

ESA’s Rosetta spacecraft chased down the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko for over ten years. [ESA]

Many European space missions Station to search for antimatter, dark mat- built and launched by the Netherlands wouldn’t be able to leave the ground ter and to measure cosmic rays. The parti- and was packed with four instruments for if it wasn’t for technology and cle detection systems require a high level astrophysical research. The instruments research being developed and con- of temperature stability, which is hard to did research in the fields of X-ray and ducted in the Netherlands. Ariane come by in space as the ISS alternates be- ultraviolet radiation and taught us much and Vega rockets use ignition sys- tween full sunlight and the cold blackness about the life of stars. ANS – which was tems designed in the Netherlands, of space. The Netherlands Aerospace Cen- launched in 1974 – was the first satellite while our home grown solar panels, tre NLR built the critical thermal control ever to have a reprogrammable comput- position control systems and sen- system making this possible, incorporating er. The computer was designed by Philips. sors make sure satellites can do a state-of-the-art mechanically pumped their job. Listed on these pages are two-phase carbon dioxide cooling loop. Ariane 6 just some of the important space Although ESA’s Ariane 6 won’t be going missions in which the Netherlands ANS to space until 2020, the rocket already played a key role. The Astronomical Netherlands Satellite has a distinct Dutch signature. Not only Nick Kivits (ANS) was the first large Dutch contribu- will Ariane 6 use ignition systems built in tion to space. The satellite was designed, the Netherlands (see Vega for more in- AMS-02 formation), the new incarnation will also Creating high energy particles on Earth use engine frames built and designed by requires major installations such as those Airbus Defence and Space Netherlands in available at CERN in Switzerland. In space Leiden. The engine frames from Leiden however, such particles pass by for free. will be used to hold the engines of the first On this premise, the Alpha Magnetic and second stage of Ariane 6 in place. Spectrometer (AMS-02) – a sophisticated particle detector weighing over 8,500 kg BeppoSAX – was installed on the International Space The Italian-Dutch satellite BeppoSAX was used for X-ray astronomy. It was the first

[NASA] [ESA] [ESA]

Ruimtevaart 2018 | 3 13 was launched aboard NASA’s EOS-Aura continued for the next generation. The satellite in 2004. OMI is a visual and ul- performance is monitored independently traviolet spectrometer that can identify of the system and operator, by the Galileo different aerosol types like smoke, dust Reference Centre, a technical centre of and sulphates. It also measures cloud the European GNSS Agency (GSA), in pressure and coverage. The instrument Noordwijk. was built by Airbus Defence and Space Netherlands, SRON and TNO. The instru- Herschel [ASI] ment has provided insight in air pollution The space telescope Herschel, launched and greenhouse gasses, and keeps an eye in 2009, observed celestial objects at satellite to deliver optical usable positions on our ozone layer. wavelengths never explored before. of gamma-ray bursts with arc minute pre- One of its instruments was HIFI, the Het- cision. BeppoSAX consisted of five scien- Gaia erodyne Instrument for the Far Infrared, tific instruments, two of which came from After less than five years in space, ESA’s which was developed by a consortium the Netherlands: the Wide Field Camera Gaia mission has already proven its worth. led by SRON. TNO, TU Delft and Mecon developed by SRON and the Low Energy Just recently Gaia’s team presented the also played major roles in its develop- Concentrator Spectrometer developed world with the most detailed star map ment. by ESTEC. The solar panels were provided ever produced. The map shows the posi- by Fokker. tion and movements of 1.7 billion stars. To create a map this precise, you need Envisat to make sure the telescope is absolutely At launch, ESA’s Envisat (ENVIronmen- stable. On Gaia this is the job of the Basic tal SATellite) was the largest civilian Angle Monitor (BAM), a highly sophisti- Earth observation satellite ever brought cated system that uses mirrors and laser to space. At the heart of the satellite to detect even the smallest deviation in there were eight instruments, one of stability. The BAM was built by TNO.

[ESA] [ESA] [ESA]

which was the SCanning Imaging Ab- Galileo IRAS sorption SpetroMeter for Atmospheric Aside from the solar panels used to power The InfraRed Astronomical Satellite CHartographY (SCIAMACHY). The Dutch the Galileo satellites in space – which are (IRAS) was the second national satellite built instrument compared light coming produced by Airbus Defence and Space for the Netherlands, and the first-ever from the sun to light reflected by the Earth. Netherlands – there is more ‘Dutchness’ space telescope to perform a survey of It used this information to map the con- to be found aboard the GNSS satellites. the entire night sky at infrared wave- centration of trace gases and aerosols in The sun sensors the satellites use to posi- lengths. Although half of the spacecraft the Earth’s troposphere and stratosphere. tion themselves towards the sun are cre- was built by the United States, and the ated by Bradford Engineering. The tech- United Kingdom developed the mis- EOS-Aura nical development for the current system sion’s ground segment, the Netherlands The Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) took place at ESTEC, and this activity is provided a key instrument with the

[NASA] [ESA] [NASA]

14 Ruimtevaart 2018 | 3 Dutch Additional eXperiment (DAX). The for these experiments. Gloveboxes are venture of the Netherlands Space Office, instrument – which was built by a con- see-through cases in which astronauts the Royal Netherlands Meteorology In- sortium of Dutch companies, including can conduct experiments using gloves. stitute, SRON, TNO and Airbus Defence Fokker, NLR and Philips – was used for They are made by the Dutch company and Space Netherlands. It provided its further examination of objects detected Bradford Engineering. The company first images in December 2017. by the main instrument of the satellite. provided the ISS with two big gloveboxes IRAS detected 350,000 different objects and made several smaller ones for Mir, Vega in space, ranging from stars to solar sys- the Space Shuttle and Spacelab. Without proper ignition, a mission to tems. space falls flat. ESA’s Vega rocket – used Sentinel-5P to send small satellites into space since Mir, Spacelab, Space Mapping air pollution in higher detail 2012 – uses ignition systems that were Shuttle & ISS than ever before. That is the mission created by the Klundert based Aerospace When conducting biological experiments of the Sentinel-5P satellite, which was Propulsion Products (APP). All three solid in zero gravity, you don’t want materials launched in October of last year as pre- rocket motors of Vega are started by APP floating away. That is why astronauts cursor to the EU’s Sentinel 5 series of igniters. APP also develops the Vinci Igni- aboard the Space Shuttle and the Mir satellites. The main instrument of the tion System for the upper stage of the and ISS space stations use gloveboxes satellite – TROPOMI – was built by a joint new Ariane 6 rocket.

[NASA] [ESA] [ESA]

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Contact Us 40 go.planet.com/getintouch 20 www.planet.com Ruimtevaart 2018 | 3 15 0 Netherlands Space Society - NVR

About the NVR

The Nederlandse Vereniging voor Ruimtevaart (NVR) was founded in 1951. It currently has over one thousand individual and company members. The society organises lectures and film screenings, as well as networking events. It also publishes its own quarterly magazine called Ruimtevaart.

The space society for the Netherlands since 1951

For over sixty years, the Netherlands Motivate, inspire and connect? making their laps around Earth. Even so, has had their own space soci- Why is that so important? back then the goal of the society was ety. The Nederlandse Vereniging voor Buist: “Because space is for everyone, the same as it is now: to think about the Ruimtevaart (NVR) – which translates but no one can achieve much without the possibilities of space. A military space in- to the Netherlands Space Society – right network. The NVR is a platform for dustry already started developing during looks to motivate, inspire and connect space professionals from or working in World War II and the first members of our all those with an interest in space. the Netherlands, and tries to inspire the society were already fantasising about Nick Kivits next generation. A few decades ago, a the possibilities of space.” young boy who was about ten years old What use is space to us here on Earth? at the time attended one of our lectures. What will space bring us in the future? Chairman Gerard Blaauw: “Space is a That same boy spent six months aboard Buist: “A few years back we set up an driving force of innovation. Without it, the International Space Station in 2011 essay writing contest for our members we would miss a whole lot of products and 2012. He was the Dutch astronaut in which we asked them to answer that and services we enjoy on Earth on a André Kuipers, who is now an honorary exact same question: how will the space daily basis. For example, the navigational member of our society.” industry look in 2071. We ended up with system in your car would not be possible a ton of interesting articles. One of the without space. And without satellites it Kuipers’ second space mission in winners described how mankind would would be a lot harder to make accurate 2011 and 2012 really peaked the have spread out across our solar system predictions of the weather. And those are Dutch interest in space, right? by then. I think that could well enough be just two of the many examples.” Blaauw: “It did. But what many people a real possibility.” don’t know is that the Netherlands has What part does the NVR play? always been a big player within the in- www.ruimtevaart-nvr.nl Board member Peter Buist: “We want to ternational space community. It’s not for get people to start thinking about the pos- nothing that ESTEC – the research and sibilities space will provide for the future. technology centre of the European Space To make this a reality, we focus on three Agency – is situated here. We are one of target groups: people who are working the top players of the world.” in the space sector, students attending a space related program at university and The NVR was founded in 1951. Was the general audience. The latter group is there already a space industry back very important for us. We want to show then? It took ten years from that point them what space actually brings to the for the first people to fly to space… table, while at the same time we want to Blaauw: “Moreover, when the NVR was try to motivate and inspire them.” founded there weren’t even satellites

16 Ruimtevaart 2018 | 3 NSO

A Dutch perspective on space

The wide applicability of space The opportunities for the Netherlands and Climate Policy is the coordinating technology and satellite data cre- in this largely new and virgin market are Minister. ates a number of opportunities for without a shadow of a doubt favourable. The government ministries that are mem- the Netherlands. But what oppor- The Netherlands has the climate and bers of the steering group NSO and the tunities should the country choose the qualities to acquire a substantial part Netherlands Organisation for Scientific to capatalise on? The Dutch space of this market worldwide. It has an out- Research (NWO) jointly determine Dutch agency NSO (Netherlands Space standing reputation in the area of space space policy and the budget that is avail- Office) advises the government and technology, is an internationally recog- able for it. As the official secretary and on realises Dutch space policy. nised specialist in several usage themes behalf of his colleagues, the Minister of relevant for space, and is home to a large Economic Affairs and Climate Policy sends Since the launch of the first rockets and number of small innovative companies a memorandum once every three years to satellites in the 1950s, the space sector that develop high-quality satellite ap- the Dutch House of Representatives. This has expanded considerably and has now plications. Furthermore, the Netherlands document explains the contours of the become a global business. Satellites has an attractive location and investment space policy and the associated budget. circumnavigate the entire globe. They climate with a high-quality education sys- The reason behind such a policy memo- regularly and precisely observe almost tem that can also provide the necessary randum is usually the preparation for an every location on Earth as well as in the human capital in the future. ESA Ministerial Council: the moment sky, make direct contact with all parts when the ESA Member States indicate of the world possible and provide geo- Advising and realising which ESA programmes they are regis- positioning of unparalleled accuracy. Dutch space policy tering for and with how much funding. The wide applicability of space technol- The Netherlands Space Office (NSO), lo- As part of the preparations for the policy ogy and satellite data is creating oppor- cated in The Hague and founded in 2009, memorandum, NSO writes an advisory tunities to make life on Earth safer, more is the space agency of the Dutch govern- report at the request of the government sustainable and prosperous and to obtain ment. NSO’s task is to advise on and real- ministries involved. The most recently more scientific insights. Governments ise Dutch space policy. NSO reports, both published advisory report was published are responding to this with international financially and substantively, through its in November 2016. It formulated the collaborations to develop programmes director to its clients, who are united in vision and ambition of the Dutch space such as Galileo and Copernicus, as well as the steering group NSO. These are the sector and made a proposal for a set of scientific missions like Rosetta and Bepi- Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate instruments needed to realise it. The key Colombo. Due to the growing demand Policy, the Ministry of Education, Culture idea is that the use of space for scientific, for the availability of information, there is and Science, the Ministry of Infrastructure societal and economic applications takes a global market for satellite applications and Water Management, and the Nether- centre stage. that both governments and commercial lands Organisation for Scientific Research parties are interested in. (NWO). The Minister of Economic Affairs www.spaceoffice.nl

Ruimtevaart 2018 | 3 17 Airbus Defence and Space Netherlands

A huge passion for technology

Over the past 45 years, the almost (VITF). Here, the two structures will be for pinpointing sources of pollution we 300 experts working at Airbus developed, built, tested and qualified. anticipated”, says De Jong, “For instance, Defence and Space Netherlands “Both engine frames are complex with just one single image TROPOMI have contributed to numerous pro- structures. They have to transfer the is able to reveal the trail of nitrogen jects, ranging from Sentinel-5P’s large engine thrust loads to the launcher dioxide left in the air as ships move. This TROPOMI instrument to solar ar- structure and also accommodate the means, the route that vessels use to rays for missions like BepiColombo many propulsion parts”, De Jong explains. navigate can now be easily discerned. and JUICE. The future promises to “The new facility, located near our Leiden With predecessors of TROPOMI, it took be just as exciting. site, is equipped with ‘Industry 4.0’ months of collecting data to see the same robotisation and automation capabilities, picture”. When the European Ariane 6 launcher in order to be prepared for the anticipated TROPOMI is a collaboration between takes flight for the first time in 2020, production rates of up to 24 engine Airbus DS NL, the Royal Netherlands it will do so with the help of Airbus frames in total per year.” The site has a Meteorological Institute (KNMI), the Defence and Space Netherlands (Airbus direct connection to the Rotterdam sea Netherlands Institute for Space Research DS NL). The structure frames that hold port, enabling safe and rapid transport (SRON) and the Netherlands Organisation the engines of two stages of Ariane 6 in of the large VUAB structure – which has for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), place are currently being developed by a diameter of 5.4 metres and is 5.2 metres commissioned by the Netherlands the Leiden-based company. Airbus DS high – to ArianeGroup in Les Mureaux, Space Office (NSO) and ESA. As prime NL is the largest space company in the France for final assembly with the Ariane contractor Airbus DS NL was in charge of Netherlands, and its up to 300 employees 6 launcher. The VITF engine frame will be the design, construction and calibration of have one thing in common: they share a transported to Bremen by road. the instrument. The scientific leadership huge passion for technology. of TROPOMI is in the hands of KNMI and “The assignment for the Ariane 6 Driving force SRON, while TNO provided the optical launcher perfectly fulfils this passion”, The engine thrust frames for Ariane 6 is hart of the instrument. says Airbus Defence and Space just one of the many examples of projects Netherlands CEO Arnaud de Jong, who Airbus DS NL is involved in. The company Vital for everyday life since five years stands at the helm of the is also one of the driving forces behind the The solar arrays, satellite instruments company. Earlier this year Airbus DS NL TROPOMI Earth observation instrument, and structures for launchers that Airbus finalised the building of a new assembly which currently circles the Earth aboard DS NL designs and builds, are among facility for the production of the Ariane the European Sentinel-5P satellite that the best in the world. “Our technology, 6 structures: the main engine frame for was launched in October of 2017. Six encompassing the expertise of other the lower propulsion module Vulcain months later TROPOMI completed its in- Dutch companies, knowledge institutes engine (VUAB) and the engine frame for orbit commissioning phase. and universities, enable missions that are the upper propulsion module Vinci engine “It proves to be the powerful instrument vital for our everyday life on Earth, such as

18 Ruimtevaart 2018 | 3 satellite navigation, communication and solar arrays experts in Leiden equipped light travelling through our atmosphere, the ongoing monitoring of air quality.” the 7.5 meter long, 260 kilogram weighing which happens to be the area in which When it comes to the development of wing with dedicated thermal shielding the Dutch TROPOMI team has gained in- solar arrays, Airbus DS NL has a vast track to keep maximum temperatures below depth knowhow.” record: it has provided up to 125 satellites 200 °C. But there is more. In the solar array and probes with the power to conduct ESA’s JUICE (JUpiter ICy moon Explorer) market for instance, the stowed volume their work in space, with a one hundred will also be powered by Airbus’ solar is a hot topic. To be able to come up percent ‘deployment after launch’ arrays during its journey to Jupiter to with the desired flexible solution, new success rate. study its moons, starting in 2022. The technologies are being developed. De Around two thirds of all satellites that the company also develops the solar wings Jong: “Also the small satellite market, European Space Agency (ESA) sends to for the service module of Orion, NASA’s ranging from 100 to 250 kg launch mass, is space use Dutch solar arrays to provide new spacecraft set to take humans back growing, which will result in an increase in them with power. Amongst them are to the moon and into deep space in the terms of numbers and financial figures.” a few of the biggest European space next decades. When it comes to space data services, missions of all time, like comet hunter Airbus is also cleverly teaming up with Rosetta, several of the Sentinel Earth Future opportunities its international colleagues to provide observation satellites, the satellites for The strong heritage of Airbus DS NL plays intelligence geared towards the needs of the Galileo navigation system and the a pivotal role in the years ahead. “Previous Dutch customers, especially in the field of resupply spacecraft ATV (Automated projects give us and our Dutch ecosystem defence and security. Transfer Vehicles), which flew supplies to of partners and suppliers a pole position De Jong: “At the heart of our heritage the International Space Station from 2008 for future missions”, De Jong says. “While and demanding future are smart people. until 2015. Airbus DS NL also works for TROPOMI is delivering on its promise Inside and outside our organisation. clients outside Europe and has provided right now, a societal challenge like climate As success boils down to having access the solar arrays for the American resupply change is asking for new solutions. We to these bright minds and to building spacecraft Cygnus for example. are discussing possibilities for the next fruitful collaborations, we put effort in The next line of spacecraft using solar generation instruments, which would be developing talent, in treasuring existing arrays from Airbus DS NL is already smaller, yet with the ability to monitor a strong partnerships and in identifying waiting. The joint ESA and JAXA (Japan specific area even more precise.” new allies.” Aerospace Exploration Agency) mission Also a future development like the optical BepiColombo, which is scheduled for feeder link technology is interesting, says www.airbusDS.nl launch in October this year, will fly De Jong. “To meet the exponentially to planet Mercury to investigate the growing demand for bandwidth, such a magnetic field and thin atmosphere of the link will be able to transmit up to several smallest planet in our solar system. The terabits. This solution will make use of

Ruimtevaart 2018 | 3 19 LioniX International BV Developing and producing Photonic ICs

The telecom and datacom networks guide technology (TriPleX™), in addition adding a unique laser concept, modula- of the future require even more op- to the other core competences micro- tors and detectors to produce a fully tical functionality to be integrated fluidics, opto-fluidics and related surface integrated photonics-based RF system into Photonic Integrated Circuits. functionalisation, and MEMS. for antenna beamforming. World leader LioniX International Advances in photonics and fiber optics The combination of integrated photon- BV designs, develops and assembles have brought telecom and datacom into ics, microfluidics and surface functionali- these modules. the high-speed digital arena of today. sation gives an unrivalled position in the The networks of tomorrow require even area of lab-on-chip (LoC). The advantage LioniX International BV is a leading glob- more optical functionality to be inte- of LoC devices for space applications is al provider of customized microsystem grated into Photonic Integrated Circuit evident in the tremendous reduction of solutions in scalable production volumes. (PIC) modules to enable more advanced resources (mass, volume, power, rea- We provide customized solutions for methods. gents) compared to standard laboratory OEMs and system integrators for tele/ Our PICs for microwave photonics and procedures. datacom, life sciences, process control high frequency (1 - 100 GHz) signal pro- A shining example is the life marker chip, and space. From design to fully assem- cessing provide significant benefits over which has been in development in the bled modules, by vertical integration in conventional, micro-electronics RF by framework of the ExoMars rover payload scalable production volumes. improving performance as well as reduc- and which detects specific bio-organic LioniX focuses on Photonic Integrated ing size, weight and power consumption. molecules in a LoC device, potentially Circuits (PIC) enabled modules based Dense systems are enabled by TriPleX™ indicating past life on Mars. on our proprietary, ultra-low-loss wave- and hybrid integration technology for www.lionix-international.com

MELiSSA Building circular economies for Mars

The MELiSSA foundation is a non- To find the answer to this question, ESA the Koningshoeven Brewery (NL) and profit organisation created by the set up the MELiSSA multidisciplinary the consultancy study for the Total and MELiSSA consortium for the pur- project (Micro-Ecological Life Support Roquette companies. pose to manage a fund dedicated to System Alternative) over 28 years ago. In this context, the planet Mars, and finance a pool of PhD students and Since then, the project has been studying all the stages between the Earth and postdocs. the possibility to valorise all the waste Mars (for example CIS lunar orbit), are of a mission to meet the vital needs of clearly targeted. Transforming all waste, In space, the survival of astronauts re- astronauts. Many experiments have managing chemical and microbiological quires very large masses of oxygen, water already taken place on-board the Interna- contaminants, using sunlight as a source and food, which are very expensive and tional Space Station (ISS), with extremely of energy, and of course supplying the too bulky to ship. For example, a standard promising results! astronauts with oxygen, water and food mission to Mars will need a minimum of Today, the MELiSSA project is often are the challenges studied by ESA and a thirty tons of metabolic supplies. These considered a great example of circular very large European community of uni- supplies eventually turn to waste. There- economy, with results in a lot of technol- versities, research institutes, and private fore we need to find ways to recycle car- ogy transfers and R&D synergies with ter- companies. bon dioxide and organic waste into food, restrial research. Some successes already www.melissafoundation.org oxygen and water. But how do we do that? include the water recycling process for www.ipstar.io

20 Ruimtevaart 2018 | 3 HE Space

Tips for starting a space career

Entering the world of work is not social media channels, specialised space telephone interview. The company is rela- always easy. As a human resources networks and, of course, personal recom- tively small and has a very good reputa- service company, HE Space offers mendations from our employees. Then tion. The job description matched exactly positions in the space sector to we check whether a candidate has the what I wanted to do, the contract offered engineers, scientists and a wide required skills and fits in well with the was good and my gut feeling said “yes”. variety of other professions. company and the team.” The whole package convinced me.”

HE Space is the only human resources In your opinion, what was the best How do you support your employees, service company exclusively dedicated to part of your application process? especially career starters, so that providing highly skilled space profession- Anna Adamczyk: “The most positive they can start smoothly in a new job? als. With locations in the Netherlands, thing was the first interview with a re- Kirsten Gibbs: “Before the job interview Germany and the USA, it is internation- cruiter from HE Space. We quickly found with the company, we prepare the candi- ally positioned. Many companies and a common language and the conversa- dates so they know what to expect and to agencies in the international space busi- tion went on in a very nice atmosphere. It relieve them of their nervousness. We also ness have been close partners for more motivated and calmed me, so that I could organise regular events to get to know than three decades. go through the entire application process our employees better and to encourage Kirsten Gibbs is working as recruiter at HE without stress.” exchanges among colleagues.” Space. Engineers Anna Adamczyk, Tineke Roegiers and Jörn Bergmann are working What is particularly important in Which tips would you like to give for HE Space on various projects. addition to qualifications when career starters in the space industry? selecting career starters? Kirsten Gibbs: “Apply with a clear, de- How did your career start Kirsten Gibbs: “I pay particular atten- tailed and customised CV and do intern- in the space industry? tion to IT and language skills. English is ships to differentiate yourself from other Tineke Roegiers: “After moving to the an absolute must in space. The space graduates.” USA in 2015, I was looking for a job in industry is an international business. For Anna Adamczyk: “Do not be afraid to space. The position of science planner for integration into an intercultural working look for a job abroad. Because of the the NASA Swift mission opened up right environment, foreign experience is also international work environment and the when my work permit was approved. This beneficial.” interesting people you never feel alone.” was perfect timing! After moving back Jörn Bergmann: “The first job is usually to Europe in 2016 I started working as What advantages does it offer you the hardest to get. But do not get discour- project information manager for the ESA to work for a HR service provider? aged, it will work out someday.” Gaia mission through HE Space.” Jörn Bergmann: “The exchange with Tineke Roegiers: “Have a chat with some- HE Space colleagues located at other one employed at the company you want What’s special about the companies is very interesting. You get to to work with to get some information on recruiting process at HE Space? know new perspectives and can make the company and also on the types of jobs Kirsten Gibbs: “HE Space are experts in contacts.” advertised.” aerospace engineering. We are looking for the ideal candidates for our custom- Why exactly did you choose www.hespace.com ers. In addition to incoming applications, your current employer? we specifically address people with in- Jörn Bergmann: “Why HE Space? The teresting profiles. We use our database, atmosphere was good from the first

Ruimtevaart 2018 | 3 21 Netherlands Aerospace Centre

Innovation in space

Assembling the AMS-02 tracker thermal control system.

To get an impression of the Neth- A: “We have a lot of knowledge on the Q: And launchers? erlands Aerospace Centre’s (NLR) nature and impact of disturbances on A: “Aerodynamics play an important role space activities we asked Michel navigation signals. Here our primary in the development of launchers. We Keuning, manager of the ISR (In- application is aviation. In order to use cover the range from CFD calculations in telligence, Surveillance & Recon- SatNav to safely navigate and land an the design phase to wind tunnel testing naissance) and Space Utilisation aircraft, the integrity of the signals must of the launcher model. We also produce department of NLR, a number of be guaranteed, either through on board fully instrumented ‘smart’ models in- questions. or ground based support systems. This house, so as to get optimal results out applies to GPS as well as Galileo. We are of the wind tunnel measurements. Our Q: In which areas is NLR active also involved in testing the potential materials expertise, in particular in the in the space domain? influence of (illegally) operated jammers area of composites and multi-metal ad- A: “NLR covers a wide range of activities, on SatNav receivers, for instance to ditive manufacturing, is applicable to from system development to applications, mitigate the impact on aircraft on their launchers. In the slipstream of SmallSat including testing, verification and valida- final approach to the runway. Another developments we are also actively in- tion. On the systems side we are focussing critical component of SatNav systems volved in small launcher activities, this on constellations of networked satellites is the time service, on which many ap- to enable quick response, cost-effective and small launchers. Other priority areas plications are heavily dependent. Fur- access to space, into an orbit as required are space applications, satellite navigation, thermore, special attention goes to the by the mission, rather than a piggy-back, thermal management systems, antennas new secure Galileo PRS service. We work best-we-can-offer, orbit.” & RF technology, structures & materials, closely with the Netherlands’ Ministry of and space situational awareness.” Infrastructure & Water Management in Q: It seems you have some excellent this domain.” technologies under your roof? Q: Tell me about those A: “Yes, the first one is on thermal control. networked satellites? Q: What about testing, NLR is world leader in pumped two-phase A: “This is one of our focal activities in verification and validation? thermal control systems. In principle you which we cooperate with users, industry A: “We have many environmental test fa- don’t want to have critical components and SMEs. We take a systems engineering cilities for use in the space domain. Like in space, like pumps. But with telecom perspective to new architectures and col- a shaker which simulates the vibration satellites, which have to deal with high laboration enabling technologies. The ap- and shock conditions of a rocket launch. power components and associated heat plications range from defence and security Or a facility which simulates the thermal fluxes, pumped systems are unavoidable to precision agriculture.” conditions in space, from extremely hot, for the next generation of platforms. representing the sunlit side, to extremely NLR has developed the thermal control Q: What activities is NLR involved cold, representing the shaded side. And system of the single largest external pay- in regarding satellite navigation? many more.” load on the International Space Station

22 Ruimtevaart 2018 | 3 Heat Controlled Accumulator.

(ISS): AMS-02. AMS-02 is an antimatter In the RF domain we have a strong is of great importance to know which ob- particle detector, comparable to that at technology position, including sens- jects are in space orbiting the Earth and the CERN facility on Earth. The thermal ing, on-board processing technologies, what their characteristics are.” control system maintains a particular downlink, reception and on-ground pro- temperature within 0.2 degrees stabil- cessing. This includes multi-sensor data Q: Any international cooperation? ity, while ISS is about half of the time in fusion, big data analysis and artificial A: “Yes, on the research side we cooper- the sun and half the time in the Earth’s intelligence (AI). Where in the early days ate with our ESRE partners, currently shadow. we performed the analysis often on sin- DLR, INTA, CIRA and ONERA. ESRE be- Another ‘special’ is our ‘optical beam gle images, using human intelligence, we ing the association of European Space steering’ antenna technology, to be ap- now use AI to find ‘hidden’ characteristics Research Establishments. Within ESRE plied on-ground, on board aircraft and or relations in a wide variety of large data we aim at establishing long-term rela- on satellites. In aircrafts we integrate sets, including larger time series, and tions with industry in the European mem- antennas in such a way that they are em- even of different nature and sources.” ber states, in order to perform R&D which bedded in the fuselage or wing structure. will result in future products or services In the near future you will see less and Q: Can you tell a bit more on which can be delivered by this industry. In less bulges on aircraft, hiding satellite space situational awareness? the context of the European space activi- dishes, thus improving the aerodynamics A: “Space situational awareness (SSA) is ties we participate in ESA programmes, and reducing weight. It is an enabler for about anything that goes on in space re- EU programmes including H2020, Clean improved internet connectivity for airline garding objects and natural phenomena Sky & SESAR, and with EU bodies like passengers throughout the flight.” that could harm our infrastructure. It can the European GNSS Agency (GSA) and its roughly be divided in two areas. The first Galileo Reference Centre.” Q: You also have a track record is space weather, of which solar wind can in Earth observation? impact SatCom and SatNav applications. www.nlr.org A: “Yes, we have. From the traditional We study the impact it may have on sys- remote sensing, to big data processing at tems and operations. The second is space present. We have moved beyond the tra- object tracking. In the past 60 years we ditional separation between ‘upstream’ have launched an awful lot of satellites, and ‘downstream’, since collaborative of which many have ceased operations constellations allow for novel approaches and are slowly deorbiting and falling back to computing, data processing, and data to Earth. Since they orbit the Earth with handling. We work with an integral ‘in- high speed, collisions may generate a lot formation chain’ perspective, from the of debris which could harm operational on-board sensor to the end users’ infor- satellites and even make some orbits use- mation needs. less. Also for safety of the Netherlands it

Ruimtevaart 2018 | 3 23 Aerospace Propulsion Products

Getting rockets of the ground

Rockets are essentially huge tanks (GGI), which ignites the gas generator es. Aerospace Propulsion Products’ tech is of fuel used to push payloads like that supplies a hot gas flow for driving used to ignite all three of these stages. satellites and probes out of the at- the turbine pipes. The last product is the Looking ahead, APP is also currently work- mosphere. Firing one up, all starts Turbine Pump Starter (TPS), providing a ing on new ignition products for Ariane 6, with a powerful flame. Aerospace high mass flow of hot gas to increase the the successor of Ariane 5. For the first stage Propulsion Products builds the igni- rotational speed of the turbine pump at engine Vulcain 2.1, a new version of the tion systems that light up rockets, engine start. Only when these three sys- Turbine Pump Starter has been developed so that they can begin their journey. tems all work in accord, Ariane 5 can start to reduce the product cost significantly. its trip to space. The new upper stage of Ariane 6 will be Every time one of the European Space powered by a cryogenic hydrogen and ox- Agency’s Ariane 5 rockets takes off, it re- From Ariane to VEGA ygen fuelled restartable Vinci engine. The lies on technology created by Aerospace Ariane 5’s first stage isn’t the only booster engine will feature an APP designed and Propulsion Products (APP). Located in which is powered by APP’s technology. The built ignition system that is independent the small Dutch town of Klundert, the single body launcher VEGA – which first of the engine cycle. The system consists of company builds ignition systems for rock- launched to space in 2012 – also doesn’t an igniter feed system in which hydrogen ets. One of which is the first stage of the fly without APP’s products. The launcher is and oxygen are stored under high pressure Ariane 5. equipped with three solid propellant stag- and an igniter – being a small combustion Igniting a rocket isn’t as easy as it might chamber in which the igniter gasses are sound. Although astronaut Alan Shepard ignited by an electrical device. – the first American in space – famously Although APP is most active in the field called out to NASA’s scientists to ‘light of space, the company also looks for new this candle’, starting up a rocket engine applications for its technology, right here is in fact a lot harder than that. ESA’s on Earth. The company has for example two-stage Ariane 5 launcher is powered developed a dry aerosol based fire sup- by the Vulcain 2, a rocket engine fed with pression system, which holds a solid liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen which compound which converts to a cloud of is produced by the French/German com- nano-particles after activation. The aero- pany ArianeGroup. Starting the engine sol interferes with the chain reaction in the requires three different products from fire and stops this chain reaction. For APP, APP. finding ways to use space technology to The first product is the Thrust Chamber solve problems on Earth is one of the ways Igniter (TCI) that ignites the main com- of the future. bustion chamber of the engine. The sec- ond product is the Gas Generator Igniter www.appbv.nl

24 Ruimtevaart 2018 | 3 CGI

About CGI

CGI is among the largest independent IT and business consulting services firm in the world. The space department in the Netherlands is located in Rotterdam and is part of the international CGI space practice.

Secure, reliable and innovative software-based space solutions [ESA]

Software-based systems have made (ESA) and the European space industry ments. With its innovative applications it possible for space programmes for more than 40 years. of space technology, CGI helps govern- to provide humankind with many We are currently contributing to major ments and commercial organisations to powerful benefits: from exploring European programmes in navigation, meet regulatory, societal and business the universe and monitoring the communication, science, exploration challenges. health of our planet to supporting and Earth observation. Through these To this end, it draws upon its cross- agriculture and enabling people to long-standing client relationships and our industry network and knowledge part- navigate around our world more dedicated practice of space and satellite ners. More specifically, we combine new easily. CGI plays a key role in pro- experts, we have earned a reputation space technologies, tools and data to viding these benefits around the for meeting technically difficult software develop innovative, space-enabled appli- world. challenges with secure solutions, deliv- cations. These can save money, improve ered on time and proven to work every reliability and efficiency, and open up new Space systems are becoming increasingly time. avenues of business. sophisticated, relying on software-based Having supported the missions of more intelligence to ensure their success. The than 200 satellites, CGI is one of Europe’s Down to Earth cases nature of satellite communications re- top three suppliers of mission-critical A recent example of an application defined quires any software used in these systems software systems and space security and developed by CGI in the Netherlands to be optimally secure. In addition, space solutions. The company is the largest relates to the complex issues of migration. software systems must be able to cope independent supplier of security systems Many factors need to be monitored here, with complex technical operations, such for Europe’s Galileo satellite navigation such as socio-economic indicators, origins, as satellite control, Earth imaging, signifi- programme. CGI was recently selected destinations, languages, causalities and cant data processing, radio propagation to support ESA in defining the second initiators. Migration Radar 2.0 combines and orbital mechanics. And finally, they generation of Galileo, which includes new Earth-observational data and social media must be ultra-reliable and delivered on functionalities and evolutions. We are re- analysis to generate indicators for near time, eliminating the risk of costly launch sponsible for the definition of the Ground real-time monitoring of migration flows. delays. Segment and support OHB in defining Another example of a space-enabled ap- the Space Segment. plication is S-TrackS. This Secure Tracking Leader in space security Services application developed by CGI is CGI delivers complex, mission-critical Space-enabled applications based on Galileo and provides a robust space software systems and is a recog- that add real value and reliable service that allows the use of nised leader in space security and space- As the number of satellite applications GNSS signals as (legal) evidence on geo- enabled applications. A European leader continues to grow, so does the value they graphic positions. in space/ground systems, we have been can deliver. Today’s space organisations supporting the European Space Agency seek to increase the value of their invest- www.cginederland.nl

Ruimtevaart 2018 | 3 25 SRON

Conducting research in space

“The 21st century will be the centu- small wheel and screw help with putting a readout electronics for the detectors. ry in which we will finally learn how moving picture on the screen. I wanted to A small, but crucial part of the telescope. the Earth and life on Earth formed”, understand the wonderful, logical inter- This might seem like a small effort, but in says astronomer Michiel Min from play of ingenious parts and ideas behind reality it is pretty complex. The biggest the University of Amsterdam. And the magic. problem is the extreme cold at which this SRON’s ARIEL telescope will help This is exactly what makes working at electronics must operate. With ARIEL, we us find the answers. SRON Netherlands Institute for Space want to look at infrared wavelengths, in Research so fascinating. To work with this case thermal heat radiation from the How did the Earth form? How did life on people at the frontline of technological planets. the Earth form? Are we alone in the Uni- progress. People that work in the lab day At these wavelengths the most interest- verse? Everywhere I look these questions by day to solve apparently small prob- ing fingerprints of molecules in exoplanet pop up. In newspapers, on television, and lems in ingenious ways, to finally create atmospheres are visible. However, we with my fellow scientists. Is this because something grand. These are the people don’t want the very weak signal of the of my reasonably new professional focus? that push the boundaries of possibilities. planet to drown in the heat radiation from Perhaps, but I do think it is mostly be- Therefore they can exactly explain how all the telescope or its electronics. There- cause the answer to this question - which this progress actually works. fore, the detectors have to be cooled to has been bothering humanity for centu- -220 degrees Celsius. ries - is now within reach. I dare to predict The next step: ARIEL The electronics used in most devices the 21st century will be the century where The space telescope ARIEL (the Atmos- on Earth can become pretty warm. Just we will find the answer to the question pheric Remote-sensing Infrared Exo- check the mobile phone in your pocket. if there is life outside the Earth. And if I planet Large-survey) will provide the next These electronics would completely have anything to say about this, before step in our understanding how planetary ruin the signal from any exoplanet by my retirement. How amazing is that? But systems like our own have formed. We overwhelming it with thermal radiation we are not yet there. just very recently got the green light from from excess heat. We thus have to cre- ESA to lift this mission – which will cost ate electronics that are absurdly precise, Forwards step by step around 450 million euro – off the ground. can operate at -220 degrees Celsius, can We can’t wait till the ‘magic of technologi- A wonderful milestone. withstand vacuum conditions, and create cal progress’ does the work for us. Well… For years we’ve already been busy with no heat. perhaps we could, but where I work we the preparations for this telescope, and That is, to put it mildly, a challenge. How are supposed to make this magic reality. for years to come we will be busy building we are going to do this still needs to be Finding ways to figure out how things it. ARIEL is a consortium of 15 countries figured out in detail. It is this research, and really work has always fascinated me. I al- in Europe, where each country builds not the final fabrication of the electronics, ways wanted to open the black box of the its own ingenious piece of hardware. At that costs a lot of time and money. But video recorder and figure out how each SRON, for example, we will create the this will result in a telescope that is going

26 Ruimtevaart 2018 | 3 to get amazing observations that will help formed. If we understand this, we can put kind has ever launched into space. This scientists unravel important questions our own solar system in context. How did telescope will also observe spectra of on the origin of planetary systems. With it form, and was this normal? exoplanets, just like ARIEL will. ARIEL we plan to get around 700 spectra The data from these observations will of exoplanet atmospheres, giving us the Answering unanswered questions undoubtedly revolutionise the research molecular composition of these atmos- Although we have a good idea of the way field. Especially since JWST will be the pheres in great detail. planets form, there are still a lot of ques- first telescope to look at exoplanets in a tions unanswered. When did the planets totally different wavelength region. This The fingerprints of form? Did the large planets or the small will provide us with access to many differ- atmospheric molecules planets form first? What is the chance ent molecules in the atmospheres. JWST So how does this work exactly? Well, the that planets form? Do planets end up is going to do a lot more (for example atmosphere of a planet consists of differ- where they form, or is there still evolu- explore the early universe in great detail), ent molecules; water, methane, CO2, etc. tion in the planetary orbits? Are planetary and thus has only limited time available These molecules are good at absorbing atmospheres enriched after formation? to look at exoplanets. specific wavelengths (colours) of light. Answering these questions is crucial if With the handful of exoplanet atmos-

For example ozone (O3) is very good at we ever want to find out if the formation pheres we will be able to observe with absorbing UV light, and thus protects us process of our solar system is unique or JWST, we will get an appetiser of what from harmful UV radiation from the Sun. normal. Studying the atmosphere of a ARIEL will enable us to do. With the much

CO2 is a very good absorber of thermal, planet can for example tell a lot about larger sample ARIEL will provide we will infrared radiation. This is why too much the temperature at which the planet was be able to confront our formation sce-

CO2 prevents the Earth from cooling; the formed, but also teaches us about later narios with statistical data, allowing us greenhouse effect. Exactly how much a enrichment of the atmosphere by col- to trace how planetary systems typically molecule absorbs at each wavelength liding planetesimals, which might have form, and what is possible. constitutes a detailed spectroscopic changed the atmospheric composition. I can’t wait till it is 2028 to watch ARIEL fingerprint that we can identify in a By probing the composition of the atmos- launch, but until that time we have a lot planetary atmosphere. This allows us to phere we can trace back not only forma- of exciting challenges ahead. And if you probe the atmospheric composition of an tion conditions but also later evolution of are wondering about the search for actual exoplanet in detail. ARIEL will do this for the planetary system. life: we are also working hard on the tech- 700 exoplanets! nology to make that happen, but this is But why would we want to know how The James Webb appetiser even a bit further down the road. Exciting much CO2 there is in the atmosphere ARIEL is not alone in its mission. NASA’s times ahead! of a planet many lightyears from here? James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) – Dr. Michiel Min, University of Amsterdam Because with that information we can which will launch in 2020 – is the largest extract many details of how the planet and most expensive telescope human- www.sron.nl

Ruimtevaart 2018 | 3 27 Airborne European market leader in solar-array substrate panels

Making composites affordable for more than 200 sandwich panels for satel- demand for affordable satellites, to fully space, aerospace and other mar- lites. Our solutions on design, manufac- bridge the digital divide by 2027, making kets. That’s the ultimate goal for turing, automation and industrialization internet access available and affordable Airborne, the market leader in of advanced composite materials, enable for everyone. Suddenly challenged by the solar-array substrate panels for clients to be more competitive by radi- production of hundreds to thousands of European satellites. cally reducing costs and saving time. satellites, time and cost saving solutions We are very proud to be part of satel- are urgently needed. Airborne was founded in 1995, focussing lites such as Sentinel 1 and 2, EarthCare, At Airborne we can assist with automat- on developing industrialized manufactur- Galileo FOC, EDRS-C and Astrobus. ing the manufacturing of space products, ing lines for thermoplastic composite And we are working on some fifty more to help clients enhance or regain their pipes. Twenty years later Airborne was panels, including Jason-CS / Sentinel 6, competitive position in this evolving set to conquer high-tech markets by in- JUICE and MetOp-SG. We believe that in market. We do so by enabling advanced dustrializing a wider range of composites 20 years advanced high-end composites composite manufacturing as a service. manufacturing processes by automation. components will be commodity goods. This is based on a platform with the Our ultimate goal? Making composites Therefore, Airborne has set the first steps Airborne toolbox of digital twin engines affordable for (new) space, aerospace and towards the fully automated and digital and automation building blocks, which other markets. production of tomorrow. help customers develop much faster with Today, Airborne is the market leader in We believe disruptive solutions are a must significant benefits in term of efficiency solar-array substrate panels for European in the new space market. In the next five and effectiveness. satellites. To this date Airborne delivered years we see the space market face a huge www.airborne.com/space

[ESA]

SBIC Noordwijk Supporting business based on space technology

The Space Business Innovation Cen- But space technology and satellite data where they are asked to solve a societal tre (SBIC Noordwijk) supports en- have also led to many innovations and problem using data or technology. trepreneurs who want to use space breakthroughs right here on Earth, from Entrepreneurs who already have a busi- technology and satellite data for satellite navigation in our cars, to better ness idea can join one of our workshops applications on Earth. understanding of our climate, to new or our “Rocket Program”, a seven-week materials such as memory foam. validation program. But our most impor- Are you an entrepreneur with an interest Still, we believe that space technologies tant program is ESA BIC: the incubation in space? Or a rocket scientist with an in- and data could and should be used even program of the European Space Agency. terest in entrepreneurship? In both cases, more. That is why SBIC Noordwijk sup- We can select up to 10 start-ups per year, the Space Business Innovation Centre ports (aspiring) entrepreneurs in every which receive a 50,000 euro incentive for (SBIC Noordwijk) is the place to be for step of their journey to implement inno- product development, business support you. SBIC Noordwijk supports entrepre- vations from space right here on Earth. and exclusive access to ESA engineers neurs who want to use space technology Entrepreneurship is not taught in every and facilities for technical support. The or data for business applications for ap- school or university. So for many develop- main requirement for entering this pro- plications on Earth. ers, designers and engineers, their first ex- gram? That you bring space technology Space exploration can sometimes seem perience with entrepreneurship is joining #downtoearth. like a purely curiosity-driven venture. a hackathon; a 24- or 48-hour challenge www.sbicnoordwijk.nl

28 Ruimtevaart 2018 | 3 Ajilon

Providing highly skilled professionals

European countries in the aviation, data they provide within the range of From initial contact with our professionals space and defence domain who are many more companies than was possible employed by Ajilon Aerospace & Defense, in need of support in the field of in the past. This democratisation of space we pay particular attention when sup- technical engineering, IT or life sci- is projected to continue at an even more porting our professionals seconded to ences (including flex staffing), can accelerated pace in the coming years. our clients. This is key to the success of count on Ajilon Technology Aero- At Ajilon Technology Aerospace & De- our professionals and clients appreciating space & Defence to deliver. fense we are always looking for highly our flex staffing solutions, support and skilled professionals with experience in the processes enabling completion of projects Ajilon Technology Aerospace & Defense Aerospace & Defence domain to join our on time and budget. provides technical engineering, IT & life team for our existing and future projects science consultancy and flex staffing solu- Rebranding imminent tions to the aviation, space and defence Later this year Ajilon will rebrand to domain across Europe. We are proud to be Modis, as will Euro Engineering and DIS. a preferred supplier of staffing solutions to Modis will become our single global brand the European Space Agency for almost 35 for engineering, information technology years with 125 of our highly skilled profes- & life sciences. Aligning our brands to sionals seconded to ESA-ESTEC in the Modis strengthens our aerospace and Netherlands, ESA-ESAC in Spain, ESA- defence business thus providing more op- ECSAT in the UK and ESA HQ in France. portunities for our professionals coupled with greater flex staffing solutions for our Specialised engineering expertise national and international clients. As the satellite industry continues to de- Our global network consists of close to velop at a rapid pace, from Earth observa- 30,000 colleagues with cross-domain ex- tion to communication & navigation, sat- pertise in IT services, manufacturing, en- ellites are an integral part of modern life in navigation, communications, Earth gineering and life science. Our colleagues and the most common reason for space observation, design, systems & software, can mobilise rapidly to help your business flight today. Specialised engineering materials & components, quality manage- approach the design, testing and roll-out expertise is required for the development ment and legal & procurement. of innovative new designs and products. of technologies and systems for satellite Locally our professionals often require applications. different levels of support from relocation How can we help you? In recent years, advancements in micro to additional development. The structure For more information contact Douglas and CubeSat technologies are driving and process Ajilon has in place are sup- Murdoch, Business Unit Manager – down the cost of satellite development, ported by our recruitment team, field Aerospace & Defense: putting the power of satellites and the managers and business managers. [email protected].

Ruimtevaart 2018 | 3 29 Inmarsat

Helping lives with satellite communication

Although fibre optic may be the leading portfolio of global, mobile com- are transforming the agricultural sector present for communications, sat- munication services at sea, on land and and are making it easier for farmers to ellite coverage will help form a in the air. Today, in addition to the mari- monitor their crop and livestock at the significant part of its future. Satel- time market, Inmarsat delivers highly touch of a button. lite has endless possibilities, which reliable, mission critical connectivity While connectivity may be something Inmarsat looks to make a reality. solutions for airlines, governments and a we take for granted in much of the devel- broad range of commercial enterprises. oped world – although leading nations As you view the latest must-watch series including China (47 per cent), Russia (27 on Netflix while discussing the unfold- Millions of lives per cent) and the United States (24 per ing plot with your friends on WhatsApp, The Netflix scenario may be the most cent) still have significant percentages of chances are you haven’t given a second relatable example for many, but Inmar- their populations offline – huge swathes thought to the technology behind sat’s solutions are deployed for mission of the planet remain unconnected to the streaming video and instant messages. critical applications that help protect web. You may know which mobile phone net- millions of lives every day. That may The latest estimates suggest more than work you’re on or who your broadband sound dramatic to the casual internet three billion people have no access the supplier is, but you’re unlikely to have user, but every day millions of people are internet. This is due to a variety of issues given it too much consideration; unless dependent on Inmarsat’s technology for including readiness, relevance, afford- Twitter goes down and you’re wondering reasons far more critical than attempt- ability and accessibility, and the Interna- where to direct your ire. But what about ing to beat the score on their favourite tional Telecommunication Union has a the communications providers who online game. Connect 2020 Agenda which aims to rad- make it all possible? Broadband cables Pilots rely on our backbone global, mo- ically improve the rate of connectivity in are the past, fibre optic may be the pre- bile communications infrastructure to the developing world. Satellite technol- sent, but it is satellite coverage that will stay in contact with air traffic control. ogy won’t solve this problem overnight, help form a significant part of the future. Ships’ captains depend on the Global but it can definitely help remote regions Inmarsat is at the heart of global mobile Maritime Distress and Safety System our make great strides in terms of coverage satellite communications and has been global satellite network underpins, while and connectivity. providing a broad portfolio of connectiv- our eHealth preventative monitoring so- ity services for users on land, sea and lution provides vital medical assistance A crucial global hub air for almost forty years. Initially es- in some of the most remote areas of Inmarsat is a truly global business, tablished by the International Maritime the world. Even the food on your table employing staff in over forty countries Organisation to provide safety services may have benefitted from our technol- worldwide and while the United King- that seafarers could depend upon as a ogy – developments in the deployment dom may be its headquarters, the Neth- communications lifeline while at sea, it of satellite communication networks to erlands is a crucial global hub for us. Our has since evolved to deliver the world’s support Internet of Things applications Burum site is a key antenna location and

30 Ruimtevaart 2018 | 3 teleport facility from where our satellite Power to influence the future sat’s involvement is not only aimed at in- fleets are controlled, providing -cover Gerard Luursema, senior director of creasing its own visibility, but equally at age not just within the Netherlands, but EMEA network operations for Inmar- driving further cooperation between all throughout mainland Europe and Africa. sat – based at the Burum site – says its those involved in the satellite industry. Inmarsat also has an administrative base Dutch division is conscious of the inte- Satellite has endless possibilities and in The Hague and a warehouse facility gral role it plays within the company’s two of the prominent projects Inmarsat in Rotterdam, where it is able to install global infrastructure. “We are proud to is working on at present include the communications terminals on vessels; a host the most important teleport in the establishment of the European Aviation service that we are also able to fulfil in Inmarsat network supporting a very sig- Network that will give airplane pas- nearby ports in the Netherlands, Ger- nificant portion of the overall revenue, in sengers access to WiFi in the clouds many and Belgium. Inmarsat’s Dutch the Netherlands”, he says. “We’re very and the Iris Service Evolution that aims subsidiary was originally a distribution pleased with the environment in which to improve the efficiency of European partner named Stratos that Inmarsat we operate such a unique and vital ser- airspace through enhanced traffic man- acquired in 2009 before fully integrat- vice. It is a mix of a highly skilled work- agement. ing it into the business in 2012. Its key force, excellent terrestrial interconnect Coupled with developments in its mari- partners in the country include Radio and great support from the government time, enterprise and governmental sec- Holland – who helped it meet a demand on several levels.” tors, these are exciting times, not just surge for Fleet Xpress – Network Innova- Luursema exudes the excitement he for Inmarsat but for the satellite commu- tions, Digital Skies, Marlink, Speedcast, feels working for a company whose nications sector as a whole. As an elder Alphatron, and KPN. key concerns are space and satellites. statesman of the industry, Inmarsat Some of the company’s leading per- “Working for Inmarsat in the sectors we enjoys a unique vantage point of these sonnel hail from the Netherlands too, serve means you have the power to influ- new horizons, backed with four decades including Ronald Spithout, the president ence the future and how satellites help of know-how to help inform the next of Inmarsat’s maritime division and define what that looks like,” he shares. stage of the journey. It remains at the Frederik Van Essen, senior vice president “That is exhilarating but also carries with forefront of innovation in global satellite in the company’s aviation business, who it a responsibility to get it right.” This communications services and continues previously worked for KLM, the Dutch youthful glee for all things out of this to invest in delivering pioneering new flag carrier. Similarly, senior roles may world is no doubt shared by the students networks that will drive advanced new be the ultimate goal for some of the signed up to this summer’s SSP, who will solutions on land, sea and air. young space professionals signing up to cover modules on space-related science, the 31st annual Space Studies Program engineering, applications, humanities, www.inmarsat.com (SSP) of the International Space Univer- policy, economics, law, management sity (ISU) being held in the Netherlands and business, as well as human perfor- this summer. mance in space. Luursema says Inmar-

Ruimtevaart 2018 | 3 31 Leiden Observatory The oldest university observatory in operation

Is Earth the only habitable planet levels and a renowned PhD programme. delivers scientists that find employment in our universe? And what is the Within the Faculty of Science, the insti- in astronomy, industry and society world- true nature of dark matter and dark tute closely collaborates with the Leiden wide. Through our work, we also seek to energy? These are just some of the Institute of Physics, the Mathematical engage the public with the wonders of the questions the Leiden Observatory Institute and the Leiden Institute of Ad- universe and share the scientific, techno- looks to answer. vanced Computer Science. logical, cultural and educational aspects Our ambitious research programme fo- of astronomy with society. Leiden Observatory is the astronomical in- cuses on observations using the world’s Research at Leiden Observatory is organ- stitute of the Faculty of Science of Leiden most powerful ground-based and space ised in two broad themes: galaxies and the University. It was established in 1633, and telescopes, on theoretical astrophysical structures in which they are embedded, is the oldest university observatory in op- and astrochemical modelling, on large and exoplanets, star and planet forma- eration today. Leiden Observatory carries scale simulations, and on laboratory ex- tion. Our research covers the fundamental our world class research in the formation periments that mimic space conditions. physics of the origin and evolution of the of structures in the universe and the origin Our world-class astronomical research large scale structures and galaxies in the and evolution of galaxies, the detection is supported by the development of key universe as well as the origin of stars and and characterization of a large range of technologies for ground-breaking astro- their planetary systems. Questions we properties of exo-planets, and the forma- nomical discoveries and translates into an study include: what is the true nature of tion of stars and planetary systems. excellent educational programme at the dark matter and dark energy, and is Earth We offer an excellent educational pro- Bachelor’s and Master’s levels. the only habitable planet in our universe? gramme at the Bachelor’s and Master’s Our education and PhD programme www.strw.leidenuniv.nl

[ESA]

Lens R&D Creating affordable and extremely high reliable sun sensors

Reliable sun sensors are normally analogue fine sun sensor currently being enough to fly on almost any mission re- quite expensive. Lens R&D designs, qualified over a very wide temperature quiring a high reliability solution. builds, qualifies and calibrates reli- range (from -125 °C to 125 °C). Like all Next to the shown sensor, several stand- able and affordable sun sensors for other BiSon sun sensors, this sensor is ard BiSon64-B units are expected to fly on space and terrestrial applications. based on radiation hardened photodiodes a number of satellites in 2018. Lens R&D that have been tested to over 1 Mrad, is the only European company currently Lens R&D is a small but highly special- where the integrated baffle of this unit developing a miniaturised true digital sun ised company designing, qualifying and optimises the measurement accuracy. sensor in the frame of an ESA Artes con- calibrating sun sensors for space and ter- Calibrated on the proprietary supercon- tract. The sensor is intended to be used restrial applications. Established in March tinuum laser-based calibration setup, the on geostationary satellites that use elec- 2012 the current team of six people is in sensors can be obtained at less than half tric orbit raising (consequently requiring the process of building and qualifying sun the cost of competing similar products. an extremely high radiation tolerance). sensors that are exhibiting an extremely Although 20 of these sensors are to fly Through this contract, ESA recognises high reliability while still being very af- on the ESA Proba-3 mission – the sensor the expertise of our staff and suitability of fordable due to the high degree of opti- was originally designed to allow mount- our facilities to engage in very challenging misation for volume production. ing directly on extendable solar panels of developments. The shown model BiSon64-ET-B is an Geostationary satellites – they are small https://lens-rnd.com

Lens R&D

32 Ruimtevaart 2018 | 3 cosine

Building miniaturized instruments

The smaller the instrument, the tion images of their kind captured by an such as gamma rays, as well as ground cheaper it is to bring to space. War- instrument onboard a nanosatellite. This applications in the medical and material mond-based cosine builds miniatur- opens the possibility to operate a constel- analysis field. ised instruments for use in space. lation of HyperScouts to provide near The company also develops X-ray real-time operational services. Using space technology on Earth mirrors for ESA’s Athena mission HyperScout can be used for crop water The inspection systems group of cosine and brings measurement systems management, fire hazard monitoring, develops and builds measurement sys- used in space back to Earth. flood detection, change detection of tems for non-space applications. Here land use, as well as algae and vegetation cosine makes use of the extensive meas- cosine is a Dutch company that develops monitoring. HyperScout is the first of five urement knowledge and technology that and builds optical and in-situ measure- miniaturised instruments that cosine is has been developed for space research. ment systems for space, air, field and developing, also including a miniatur- This includes remote sensing techniques factory. cosine is working on several ised thermal imager, a LIDAR, a high- such as spectral imaging in the visible and development contracts for the European resolution imaging spectrometer and a more exotic parts of the electromagnetic Space Agency (ESA), but also develops polarimeter. spectrum. its own space products with support from This technology can be used for product ESA and the Netherlands Space Office. X-ray vision inspection in the factory, for agricultural In addition, cosine develops and builds The high-energy optical systems group products or environmental monitoring, measurement systems for non-space ap- of cosine develops the X-ray mirrors for but also for sensors placed in or on the plications. Athena, the next European X-ray satellite object to be measured, for example to observatory. This key mission for X-ray measure forces or monitor the integrity Building miniaturised instruments astronomy will provide a much larger of structures. The remote sensing group of cosine devel- collecting area and spectral resolution cosine has its own clean rooms and test- ops a range of miniaturised instruments than the current ESA X-ray observatory, ing facilities for small space instruments for use in space as well as on manned or XMM-Newton. and space optics in Warmond, the Neth- unmanned aircraft and in the field, both Athena will enable us to study X-ray erlands. With an international team of stationary and on vehicles. cosine has led sources outside our galaxy, including the physicists and engineers, cosine develops the development of a miniaturised hyper- cosmic web and black holes. Based on measurement solutions for the future us- spectral camera for nanosatellites called new technology, invented by cosine and ing technology available today. HyperScout. ESA, cosine is developing and setting up The first HyperScout was launched into the process to manufacture the X-ray mir- www.cosine.nl space on February 2nd, 2018 and first rors for Athena. This technology is also light was achieved on March 26th, 2018. being adapted for other X-ray astronomy These images are the first Earth observa- missions, for other high-energy radiation

Ruimtevaart 2018 | 3 33 TU Delft Space Institute

Linking people and institutions

Contributing groundbreaking and knowledge institutes. The DSI stimulates “Solution to the data-congestion problem” cutting-edge solutions to the space annual Space gatherings like this, and is This second TKI project aims to solve domain to serve scientific, eco- taking the lead in organising a new sym- large problems in today’s inter-satellite nomic and societal needs: that’s posium in November 2018. communication and satellite-to-ground what TU Delft Space Institute (DSI) station communication for small satel- stands for. How is the TU Delft Two TKI projects lites or more specifically, downlink data Space Institute doing this? By com- The DSI also has an important coordinat- congestion and a lack of high-speed bining and creating expertise across ing role for companies, institutes and inter-satellite links for swarms that form various faculties of Delft University other universities in the domain of space. interferometers. of Technology, and by making ex- To further achieve its ambitions in this The intended practical results of the pertise usable at a local, regional field, the DSI participates in several TKI project include a “black box” that accepts and global level through knowledge projects. TKI stands for Top Consortia for (I/Q) baseband signals and produces RF institutes, companies, agencies and Knowledge & Innovation. Two of these output in a power and spectrum efficient governmental bodies. TKI’s are now running: way. Another aim is a design methodol- ogy that describes how modern commer- TU Delft Space Institute (DSI) joined “Enlarging the spatial resolution of mini- cial-of-the-shelf (COTS) RF technology forces with TNO last November to organ- satellite platforms” can be adequately used in space applica- ise the ‘Innovate your Space’ Symposium, This first TKI project addresses current tions. The results will be highly useable for with the aim to connect and promote problems linked to Earth observation terrestrial applications, so the impact will innovation, research and engineering de- (EO) systems. High resolution EO data be beyond just the Dutch space industry. velopment in the space field. All of ‘Space has become invaluable for a wide variety Nederland’ gathered at the Symposium: of applications, ranging from defence and Three PIPP proposals 120 experts from industry, knowledge security to environmental monitoring TU Delft Space Institute is also involved institutes, government and academia at- and disaster response. Currently, high in the Knowledge Network Regulation tended the day. resolution imaging data are captured by PIPP (Partnerships for Space Instruments Different keynote speakers addressed large, heavy and expensive EO systems. & Applications Preparatory Programme). “hot” topics, such as: SRON’s technology As a result, data produced by these satel- PIPP is aimed at promoting the inter- program, existing and future technolo- lite systems are also very expensive. national position of the Netherlands gies to identify Earth-like planets, and The goal of the proposed work is to in the development and use of space New Space Systems paradigms, e.g. design a deployable optical system that instruments by supporting knowledge cloud computing. The attendees also can reach similar resolutions as state- networks. Two proposals for PIPP coordi- discussed with fellow specialists and in- of-the-art Earth observation systems, nated and submitted by the TU Delft have vestors scientific, engineering or societal while using a fraction of the volume and been selected by NSO on behalf of NWO: questions and possibilities of collabora- mass. The launch costs of these systems tion. are therefore expected to be substan- “Breakthrough Technologies for Interfer- Several key statements were reviewed tially smaller with the ultimate result: a ometry in Space” in a plenary discussion. Topics included much lower cost per image. There are Interferometry (swarms of large quanti- commercialisation in space, fundamen- additional challenges, for instance, the ties of small satellites and sensors) is a tal space research, the extra resources telescope will be operating in a Low Earth key technology in future spaceflight. This allocated by the new government, and Orbit, where thermal-mechanical loads program aims at breakthroughs in locali- collaboration between industry and are changing continuously. sation, high-data rate links, distributed

34 Ruimtevaart 2018 | 3 The TU Delft Space Institute (DSI), was founded in 2015 and combines the strengths of different TU Delft faculties: Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science, Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering, Applied Sciences. All these faculties have research groups that are engaged in space research. The institute focuses on three core themes: sensing from space, space robotics and distributed space systems. Professor Eberhard Gill, is the director of the institute: “By joining forces and coupling those to the needs of local, regional and (inter) national stakeholders we can generate a significant impact on research, education and valorisation in the space domain.”

computing, satellite cluster control and This third PIPP proposal in which TU Delft strategies are crucial for monitoring the many more technologies that will enable is participating, is about a future gen- earth and exploring the wider universe. many different commercial and scientific eration of instruments that will allow the multi-satellite missions. Two scientific detection and characterisation of planets Space robotics missions, the moon orbiting radio tele- orbiting in the habitable zones of neigh- To sense, to plan and to act is the essence scope OLFAR and the two-element THz bouring stars. The project is developing of robotics. Space robotics has enabled interferometer EHI, will be used as drivers methods to take images of the exoplan- mankind to reach places where humans and precursors for the research. etary systems from space with unprec- can’t go. The TU Delft Space Institute edented resolution - while at the same develops and flies state-of-the-art robotic “Dutch Network on Small Spaceborne time suppressing the light from the stars. systems. Mechatronics is an important Radar Instruments and Applications (NL- This will enable separation of the weak research domain within Space robotics. RIA)” planetary signal from the background. A TU Delft has already successfully dem- This network aims at establishing a long- further aim is the development of a new onstrated space mechatronics systems in lasting collaboration framework in the generation of highly capable sensors that the Delfi nano-satellite missions. field of spaceborne microwave remote are sensitive to the variations in wave- sensing instruments and missions. The length and polarisation distribution that Distributed space systems initial specific objectives relate to the constitute the characteristic fingerprints Small satellites working together as a study of breakthrough technologies to of the observed planets. team are a major trend in spaceflight. allow the implementation of miniatur- The TU Delft Space Institute has already Multi-agent systems can be cheaper and ised radar instruments compatible with stimulated quite some activities and pro- more robust than single spacecraft: if one SmallSat Earth observation missions. jects in the space domain, but there is still component fails, the others will continue. Two classes of instruments are initially a lot more to do! Flight control, communication and deci- being considered: radar altimeters, and sion making are the main challenges in Synthetic Aperture Radars. Of particular Sensing from space this field. TU Delft has developed various interest are multistatic mission concepts, Sensors are of critical importance to any algorithms, based on artificial intelli- with several spacecraft acting as a single spacecraft. Amazing progress has been gence (AI), to manage distributed space distributed radar system. made in this field, due to miniaturisation systems by making decisions onboard TU Delft coordinated the preparation and the development of new technolo- instead of relying on the command from for these two proposals and gathered all gies. An example is the characterisation ground stations. Dutch key players in the field. of a new technology, called Fourier phase grating. This allows using multi-pixel www.spaceinstitute.tudelft.nl “Breakthrough technologies for direct im- beams at super-Terahertz frequency to aging and characterisation of exoplanets open up a new window in astronomy. from space” Better sensors and smarter measuring

Ruimtevaart 2018 | 3 35 Sapienza Consulting

Providing support to the European space industry

For almost half a century, Sapienza and streamline their processes. Not only is IT infrastructure design & architecture, Consulting has provided the Euro- does it support large satellite projects, it software engineering, space project con- pean space industry with support. also supports downstream services and figuration or technical support, our dedi- Our company does this in three applications. ECLIPSE is predominantly cated team – comprised of experts within ways: by providing manpower, by used in the space industry, but it has the their respective domains – works closely offering IT and engineering ser- possibility to be used across a multitude with our clients to support their business vices and with our web based Space of industries. needs and provide a quality and flexible Project Management software service which will enhance their business ECLIPSE. Providing manpower support operations. Manpower is the recruitment arm of our How do we do all this? The great thing Sapienza Consulting is a business partner business. We supply key personnel to the about technology is that you are instantly and supplier within the space and de- space & defence industry, whether that’s connected; irrespective of their location fence industry. Since our inception, our working onsite with us at the Space Busi- we are able to provide our clients with company vision was to provide support to ness Innovation Centre (SBIC) here in the continuous support. In addition, we ESA-ESTEC and it has continued to be a Netherlands or supporting our clients have a number of offices across Europe driving force at the core of our business, across the United Kingdom, the Neth- that are in close proximity to our clients’ growing to encompass the European erlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, sites, which again allows us to answer any space industry as a whole. What does this Germany and Italy. Our heritage within queries, solve any problems and support really mean? It means that we work with the space sector is longstanding; we’ve them however possible. and provide support to our clients. We supported over thirty ESA missions in the do this through three different business last twenty years (including Galileo, MTG, Continuous support units: ECLIPSE software suite, manpower Copernicus and ExoMars). For the last twenty-four years, we have and IT and engineering services. We can provide support on a project, tem- remained at the heart of European space porary or permanent basis and we cover a activities. Whether through ECLIPSE, Supporting collaboration wide variety of roles across technical, en- manpower or services, we are providing ECLIPSE is our own proprietary software gineering, operational and administrative support to the space industry; we are created as a response to the needs of domains. The diversity of roles we recruit helping with the continuous growth and the space industry, to support their sat- for, means that our team is well versed development of the industry by ensur- ellites and missions projects. It is fully across all domains and experience levels ing that projects are running smoothly, complaint with the requirements of the within the space industry. We continu- staff is fully trained and compliant and ECSS (European Cooperation for Space ously engage with the industry, meaning that there is a core infrastructure and Standardisation), which is why ESA is that our knowledge and network is con- foundation in place. With the entrance of our largest ECLIPSE customer. ECLIPSE tinuously expanding and improving. new players in the space market and the is web based and supports processes in rapidly changing space sector, Sapienza project management, product assurance, Quality and flexible service Consulting is looking forward to continu- configuration management, product as- The space & defence project services are ous developing partnerships with new surance and quality assurance. our third business stream and encompass and leading space actors. It supports collaboration across organi- a large portfolio. This part of our business sations as well as information sharing, is unique and tailored to each customer www.sapienzaconsulting.com which helps our ECLIPSE customers to and their business needs; no two com- information within their organization panies have the same needs. Whether it

36 Ruimtevaart 2018 | 3 European Test Services B.V.

Operating Europe’s largest space test centre

When ESA took the decision to joint-venture of Intespace (now Airbus pendent marketing and sales policy outsource the operation and main- Defence & Space) and IABG and has been to achieve the maximum use of the tenance of its Test Centre in the awarded with a contract on the main- capacity of the facilities; 1990s, European Test Services (ETS) tenance, management, marketing and • Development of initiatives for an ef- [ESA] B.V. was founded. The company is sales of the ESA Test Centre. The contract ficient marketing and sales system; responsible for marketing, sales, has been extended several times and ETS • Proposing facility improvements to management and maintenance of remained as the facility operator. During ESA that could increase the sales level. the ESA Test Centre. the previous years, the processes and in- terfaces between ETS and ESA have been Success stories Located in a dedicated building at ESA improved in order to take full advantage The ESA Test Centre has numerous suc- ESTEC, the ESA Test Centre is the larg- of the extensive engineering capabilities cessful references in space hardware test- est environmental space test centre of of ESA. ing covering mechanical testing, thermal its kind in Europe and one of the largest testing, EMC testing and test related in the world. The ESA Test Centre is a Maintenance and marketing facility modifications. Both for large test unique environment with state-of-the-art ETS manages the activities related to the campaigns on spacecraft level as well as facilities. It is serviced by highly-trained preventative and corrective maintenance, for subsystem / component tests, ETS has staff who work in close interaction with as well as marketing and sales of the test proved to be a highly reliable and skilled European industry. facilities under its responsibility. Further- partner. The following test campaigns can Since 1967 the ESA Test Centre Division more, ETS is responsible for exercising an be highlighted as references for the suc- has ensured the maintenance and opera- efficient management of the operations cessful partnership between ESA and ETS: tions of the test facilities with the support and test services of the test centre. • BepiColombo STM & PFM of contractors who have been working In the frame of maintenance, ETS is re- • JUICE TDM mostly under a technical assistance con- sponsible for: • Galileo Giove A & B tract or under a service-hire contract. • Maintaining the test facilities according • Galileo IOV SM and PFM to their technical specifications; • Galileo FOC FM1 – FM22 Outsourced • General reporting to the Agency; • Herschel STM & PFM In the 1990s ESA has taken the decision • Establishment of necessary agree- • Planck PFM to outsource the operation and mainte- ments with suppliers; • METOP PLM nance of the ESA Test Centre. Since then • Procurement of all spare parts and • SMOS PLM STM & PFM the tasks related to the management, consumables required to ensure avail- • GOCE STM & PFM maintenance, marketing and sales of ability of minimum stock level of spare • Small-GEO STM the test facilities have been publicly parts; • CHEOPS STM tendered. ESA remains the owner of the • Implementing minor facility modifica- • ATV STM & PFM facilities and is responsible for all invest- tions and upgrades; • IXV PFM ments in the Test Centre. The definition, • Keeping inventory of equipment made In addition to the test services provided to development, procurement and accept- available to ETS. the space industry, ETS has also become ance of new facilities, facility upgrades The marketing activities of ETS are focused a major supplier of testing services to rail- and modification remains the responsibil- on the promotion of the operations and way, marine and power/electric industry ity of the agency. testing services of the concerned facilities. with customers such as ABB, Bombardier, European Test Services (ETS) B.V. was In this frame, ETS is responsible for: Alstom, and General Electrics. founded on September 1st 2000 as a • Carrying out an efficient and inde- www.european-test-services.net

Ruimtevaart 2018 | 3 37 ISIS

Small satellites, made in Delft

Back in 2008, students from the missions and applications. After more cated people that are fun and pleasant to Delft University of Technology than twelve years in the field of small work with. launched their first nanosatellite satellites, ISIS has grown into a vertically The company’s core competencies lie into orbit. What started as a study integrated small satellite company with a in the application of space systems project morphed into a spin-off varied, multi-disciplinary team of ninety engineering in combination with an ex- company called Innovative Solu- people who design, build and launch pertise in the following technical areas: tions In Space (ISIS), which is now small satellites for a living. radiofrequency systems and payloads, one of the leading companies in the ISIS specialises in realising innovative deployable systems and hold-down and world of small satellites. turn-key small satellite missions includ- release mechanisms, attitude determina- ing launch and operations for in-orbit tion systems, and embedded systems. Delft is renowned for its Delft Blue delivery. ISIS designs and delivers small Within this last category, sensor networks Pottery and its excellent ecosystem of satellite platforms for single missions technology is also included. knowledge driven education, research and constellations, either standardised institutes and high-tech companies. Since or optimised in performance and size, People at the core 2008, it is also known as the Dutch centre tailored to the mission needs. Through ISIS operates from its main site on the for small satellites. In that year, Delfi-C3, ISL, its launch services subsidiary, ISIS high-tech campus of Delft. At this site, the first satellite from the Delft University launches all sizes of small satellites. In ISIS also has its assembly, integration and of Technology was launched into orbit. A addition, the company builds space ca- test facilities that include a class 10,000 very successful project: the 2.5-kilogram pability through training programmes, (ISO 7) integration cleanroom and a broad Delfi-C3 satellite is still active after more knowledge transfer as well as compo- range of (environmental) test equipment than a decade in space. It yielded interest- nent sales. and development labs. In addition, ISIS ing test results on its payloads, delivered has a development branch office in close to one hundred engineers to the job Think outside the box South Africa, in Somerset West and the market with practical skills under their Spacecraft engineering offers complex company has an international network of belt, and created a successful spin-off problems to bright people. Especially in partners and reseller agents. company: ISIS. the domain of small satellites engineers We cannot do what we do without our Innovative Solutions In Space (ISIS) was are challenged to find innovative ways people. Despite the trends towards ma- founded on January 6th, 2006 by five to obtain maximum performance with as turing the space sector, industrialisation members of the initial student team of little resources as possible. The multidis- for space hardware and software devel- the Delfi-C3 project. Since then it has be- ciplinary aspects of satellite engineering opment, people are still at the very core come one of the leading companies in the force you to think outside the box and of space innovation. We have a highly fast-growing small satellite market. ISIS consider a full system’s view in order to motivated team of people from all over operates globally and serves customers solve the engineering challenges. Above the world and with all kinds of skills that worldwide in accomplishing their space all, ISIS is a company with a lot of dedi- ISIS needs, and the company keeps

38 Ruimtevaart 2018 | 3 adding new engineers, technicians and of a mission I’m doing more analysis, with the customers of my projects, and support staff to its ranks. A few of our discussing requirements and working on make sure the people working on those team-members share some of their views satellite budgets and design. Later on projects work nicely together. on working at ISIS. I’m spending time writing procedures or What I like the most here is the freedom. working in the lab testing hardware. To- Pro-active people really have the pos- Kerwin Wijngaarde – Test Engineer wards the end of the project it gets really sibility to take action and change things. I’m a test engineer who mainly tests exciting when we’re working in a clean- At ISIS you can really see the value of subsystems with some small design tasks room with the whole system, doing final your work and you can very easily have in between. I have an intermediate vo- checks before delivery to the customer or a visible impact on the projects. It is very cational education degree in electronics launch provider. rewarding! and I’m currently busy with my bachelor It’s awesome to see a project develop degree in electrical engineering. from start to finish. One of my favourite Gerard Aalbers – Embedded I started my first internship at ISIS in rewarding moments was getting to load Systems Engineer 2014 and my second internship in 2015. I a CubeSat into its deployer, say goodbye At ISIS I’m an embedded systems en- started officially working at ISIS in 2016. and close the door, knowing that the next gineer, which is a good mix of both my Most of the day I’m testing subsystems time it opened it would be in space! (And education and my personal interests. I and making procedures for testing sub- then hearing from it again was also nice.) was one of the company’s first full-time systems. Between those activities I also employees, joining not long after it had do some small electrical design tasks. Nicolas Clemencin – Project Manager been founded. I had worked with the I’m a project manager on both satellite company’s founders during our thesis Haley Doyle – Systems Engineer missions and R&D projects. My job is project, the Delfi-C3 nanosatellite, so this I began studying aerospace engineering to make sure that we deliver what we was a natural follow-up job for me. and working on CubeSats at the United promised to our customers, on time, and My main focus is on designing, develop- States Naval Academy. Once I had to within the allocated budget. I have been ing, and testing of the software and leave the Navy, I took up a contractor working at ISIS for one and a half years electronics that control the satellite and position at NASA to work on a space as a project manager, but I have actually execute its mission. I’m also fortunate debris sensor, then I came here to join the started in this company as an intern more enough to be involved in the operations systems engineering team. System en- than two years ago. of some of the satellites after they have gineers are responsible for the technical My job leads me to do all kind of things, been launched, which is a big responsibil- aspects of the satellite, ensuring that the from preparing schedules and reporting ity but a very exciting aspect of my job. design comes together successfully and to the board of the company, to chairing the mission requirements are fulfilled. technical design meetings and managing www.isispace.nl My work is always different, depending satellite operations activities. I also con- on the project phase. At the beginning tact suppliers, manage the relationship

Ruimtevaart 2018 | 3 39 JIVE Joint Institute for VLBI ERIC: The sharpest view

VLBI (Very Long Baseline Interferom- by the Netherlands Institute for Radio lar encompassing ultra-precise tracking etry) is a radio astronomy technique Astronomy (ASTRON) and co-funded by of deep space missions and conducting that studies radio emission from France, Latvia, the Netherlands, Spain, research with space-borne VLBI radio celestial sources. The Joint Institute Sweden and United Kingdom, and also telescopes. for VLBI ERIC (JIVE) promotes and receives support via bilateral agreements The JIVE personnel conduct a wide range supports research and development with research organisations in Germany, of cutting-edge research in cosmology, of VLBI in Europe, and beyond. China, Italy and South Africa. extragalactic and galactic astrophysics, JIVE fulfils its mission by operating and and studies of the Solar System. The Joint Institute for VLBI ERIC in Eu- further developing the EVN Data Proces- JIVE is involved in the Space VLBI mission rope (JIVE) is the central organisation of sor (often called “VLBI correlator”) as well RadioAstron led by Roscosmos and Rus- the European VLBI Network (EVN). VLBI as supporting individual EVN users and sian Academy of Sciences. It also leads, as stands for Very Long Baseline Interferom- the operations of the EVN as a facility. a PI organisation, one of the experiments etry – a radio astronomy technique that The Institute also carries out a broad of ESA’s Cosmic Vision L-1 mission JUICE provides the highest angular resolution range of research and development ac- that is to be launched in 2022. (i.e. the sharpest “view”) by studying ra- tivities in VLBI-related fields, such as radio The JIVE senior scientists are involved in dio emission from celestial sources. astronomy data transport and process- educational activities, including lecturing The main mission of JIVE is to promote ing, innovative applications of VLBI and and supervising MSc and PhD projects and support the research and develop- radio astronomy technologies. on radio astronomy and space science at ment of VLBI in Europe and beyond in the The latter includes a variety of space and several universities. broadest possible sense. JIVE is hosted planetary science applications, in particu- www.jive.eu

[ESA]

Hyperion Technologies High performance components for small satellites

High performance missions require processors, structures and propulsion. The PM200 brings high thrust propulsion high performance components. The products of Hyperion are designed to capability to 3-12U CubeSats and similar Hyperion Technologies designs and outperform currently available systems. platforms. Low system complexity and builds components for small satel- Our iADCS100 and iADCS400 series for zero propellant toxicity allow for sim- lites, ranging from star trackers and attitude control are the smallest attitude ple and robust operations, both on the sun sensors to on-board computers information systems in the world. They ground and during operation. and bipropellant propulsion sys- offer a precision of over 30 arcseconds (3 The PM200 offers active thrust vector con- tems, like the new PM200 module. sigma). trol to minimize disturbance torque on the Both systems are based on our ST200 star satellite platform and can be seamlessly Hyperion provides high performance tracker, which for years is the smallest integrated with the iADCS400 to provide components for small satellites, yielding star tracker available on the market. The a fully integrated GNC and ADCS solu- high performance, while only consum- ST200 has successfully flown on a multi- tion. As the PM-propulsion series are ad- ing little power, using small volumes and tude of satellites. ditively manufactured, customization for having low mass. The current portfolio Our newest product is the PM200 propul- specific missions can be accommodated. consists of star trackers, sun sensors, re- sion system. This bipropellant system The PM200 will change the mission and actions wheels, GNSS-receivers, magne- solves the problems of altitude changes, constellation design for small satellites. torquers, on-board computers, payload constellation control and de-orbiting. www.hyperiontechnologies.nl

40 Ruimtevaart 2018 | 3 S[&]T Corp.

R&D solutions for space, science and defence

Research and development projects We ensure that our clients have the bright- predictive maintenance applications origi- are long-term investments, which est minds available. Our partners find us nally built around our background in space at some points might require short- stable and flexible in forms of working safety and quality assurance are now notice team scaling. Security [&] together, from mutually beneficial con- integrated into planning and safety ap- Technology Corporation (S[&]T) of- sortia to spin-off companies. Oftentimes plications for police, public transport, and fers flexible R&D support for com- we even see that clients might become shipping. We’re also an active player in the panies looking for an extra hand. employees or employees might become Copernicus downstream segment, with partners or clients. We follow the most AirPortal currently leading in ground pixel S[&]T is excited to help host ISU in the natural progression, ensuring a win-win resolution for air quality data worldwide. Netherlands this summer! We’ve always scenario with an eye on the long-term had a heart for ISU’ers, and at the peak relationship. • Innovative spin-offs more than 10 percent of our employees Some applications of our technology have were ISU alumni. We’d love to increase • Interesting projects developed to a point where we have spun that number! We are ready to find ways We like to keep our highly educated them off into small R&D start-ups, with to partner with you, so feel free to get in employees happy by giving them cutting- a focus on bringing space technology touch, whether it’s for projects, apps, jobs, edge R&D projects to work on. Our origi- to other markets. Orbital Eye, an S[&]T or even a cool spin-off idea! nal focus on Earth observation satellite company, uses Sentinel data, intelligent Here’s a quick overview of the things that data processing has expanded to include change detection, and custom notifica- drive us at S[&]T: mission-critical software and applications tions to provide oil and gas companies for other domains. Our projects have with pipeline safety solutions. • Intelligent people expanded to include everything from soft- Another S[&]T spin-off, Spectral Indus- S[&]T prides itself on developing long- ware for the latest on-ground optical and tries, uses a spectrometer originally meant term relationships with intelligent, inter- radio telescope developments to sensor for Mars to make verification of materials esting people. Our company was founded systems for better understanding re-entry for mining, security, and other industries on trust between the current directors, and breakup of rocket stages and poten- as easy as ‘point and shoot’. The spec- developed during a satellite instrument tially other unpredictable objects. trometer system would historically have calibration campaign. 18 years later, long- only been found in a lab, but is now small, term relationships are always top of mind • Insightful applications lightweight and robust enough for field when we’re looking into partnerships of Our space software applications have applications. BioSparq also uses S[&]T various types. Our employees choose the expanded from data processing pipelines software technology, but for the medical flexibility to move through projects that and scientific algorithms to products that industry, providing real-time identifica- best fit their career trajectory, whether are further down the processing pipeline, tion of bacteria in both air and liquids. those are internal or integrated at our and apps that are fully integrated in clients. other markets. For instance, planning and www.stcorp.nl

Ruimtevaart 2018 | 3 41 Bradford Engineering

Building products for space

BepiColombo Flow Control Unit, electric propulsion. [Bradford Engineering BV]

From solutions in attitude and orbit relationship with all government space strategy deployed years ago. The focus control to propulsion and avion- agencies in the world (for example: ESA, has shifted to a number of standardised ics: Bradford Engineering has seen NASA, JAXA), as well as most of the major components – of which our pressure over 1500 of its products launched satellite integrators, now moving towards transducers and sun sensors are the to space. The company now looks the commercial New Space initiative. best known examples – that have found ahead to the future, by upgrading In the latter market segment, Bradford their way to most satellite platforms for their famous gloveboxes to more Engineering recently became a proud telecommunication, Earth observation, future-proof workspaces. partner of Astranis from San Francisco, science and navigation. USA. Astranis is a venture capitalist fund- A good example of this can be found Bradford Engineering Holding Company ed organisation with plans to change the within the Iridium NEXT satellites. Dur- Ltd (Bradford Engineering in short) is a economics of the GEO telecommunica- ing the last calendar year no less than Netherlands based supplier of attitude tion market. Bradford has been selected forty satellites have been launched, each and orbit control systems (AOCS), propul- as a partner, and will deliver HPGP pro- equipped with eight sun sensors devel- sion, avionics and thermal solutions for pulsion systems, electric pressure regula- oped by Bradford. These sensors are used spacecraft. The holding company actu- tors and sun sensors, and will perform the to determine the position of the space- ally consists of two separate companies: complete integration and loading cycle craft in relation to the sun. Bradford Engineering BV and ECAPS BV. for these two propulsion systems. However, during the same year there Both are experts in satellite subsystems Shortly after, Bradford Engineering BV were also several science, Earth obser- and components, with special focus on joined the American Acquisition Corpora- vation, navigation and geostationary a complete coverage of the propulsion tion (AIAC) group, based on a ‘long-term communication satellites launched which technology domains (cold gas, electric passion for space’. Bradford celebrated were equipped with Bradford technology. and chemical). Bradford’s solutions put its 1000th product launched into space Aside from that, a number of cargo ships the emphasis on the High Performance in November 2016. We are moving at an were launched, equipped with Bradford Green Propulsion (HPGP®) technology, accelerated pace: the fifteen successful parts and components. which is patented by ECAPS. launches that took place in 2017 boosted the counter to more than 1500 commis- From gloveboxes to workspaces Solid relationships sioned, and successfully launched, prod- Around the turn of the century, Bradford Bradford was established in 1984, start- ucts to space. Needless to say that we are was still focussed on the development of ing its activities in the nuclear field. From very proud about this. ‘microgravity payloads’. These mini labo- 1986 onwards, space engineering – in the ratories – in which all kinds of research domain of human spaceflight instruments Quick delivery due to can be performed whilst in a weightless such as gloveboxes – became the focus standardized components state – are better known as “gloveboxes”. of the organisation. The customer base This high representation in space projects The Micro-gravity Science Glovebox is very divers. Bradford upholds a solid worldwide is the result of a sophisticated (MSG) was one of the first experiment

42 Ruimtevaart 2018 | 3 Astronaut Andre Kuipers working with the MSG. [NASA] facilities on board the ISS, and celebrat- new foods for astronauts? Maybe a com- ing its fifteenth operational year in 2017. fortable place for space travellers to keep This provided a great opportunity to their beloved pets safe while they travel implement a major upgrade in the form in space? The possibilities are as vast as of a removable front window, which was the frontier of space. successfully installed by astronauts in January. A global player Also in 2017 the preparation for the In July 2017 Bradford acquired the Swedish launch of the large Life Science Glovebox company ECAPS AB, capable of develop- (LSG) started. The LSG has a volume of ing non-toxic propulsion systems and no less than 500 litres. After launch it will propellant for spacecraft. Over the course be the largest research lab in the space of more than twenty years Bradford pro- station. The LSG will be launched aboard vided solutions for everything between Jaxa mission HTV7 in September 2018, the fuel tank and rocket engine of a satel- after which it will be integrated into the lite. The acquisition proved to be a perfect Japanese Kibo module. match for both companies. In addition we see a strong increase in This cooperation between Bradford and the interest in gloveboxes and similar ECAPS is not something new, which facilities, especially in the commercial was proven on October 31st 2017, when ‘New Space’ market. This current inter- six SkySat satellites were launched into est will be supported by our rebranded space. Each satellite containing a propul- ‘workspaces’. A glovebox is just a type sion system prepared by ECAPS, joined of place to do work in space – hence we with a Bradford pressure transducer. The chose to rebrand them as workspaces. safety aspects, a lowering of total cost The Workspaces initiative at Bradford is and environmental regulations yield a intended to expand what is possible on a strong interest in non-toxic rocket propul- space station. sion worldwide. Bradford gloveboxes have served their With this acquisition, Bradford Engineer- role well on past government-run space ing suddenly became a global player in this stations, but what will new commercial rapidly developing market; hence the en- workspaces do? Will they provide a so- terprise grew by as much as fifty per cent. phisticated workbench for manufacturing in space? A place to do maintenance on www.bradford-space.com Flow Control Units, products [Bradford complex machinery? A place to prepare www.ecaps.space Engineering BV]

43 Space Expo More than a museum

How is mankind helped by space ing place and showroom for the space of the space sector in The Netherlands. technology? And which new know- sector, where not only interested visitors The exhibitions offer experiences, au- how, materials and medicines has come to learn about space and society thenticity and relevance. Examples are space technology given us? These but also key players from governments, the Soyuz simulator in which visitors can and a lot more questions are an- tourism and industry will recognise the take a short ride, a real rock from the swered at Space Expo, Europe’s first value of Space 4.0. Moon, a real size replica of two modules permanent space exhibition. The museum shows the connection of the ISS, the original Soyuz capsule of between technological and scientific Dutch astronaut André Kuipers and a Space Expo in Noordwijk is the first per- developments in space exploration and temporary exhibition called ‘Back from manent space exhibition in Europe and society. How is mankind helped by space Space’, with 100 objects that have been the official visitors centre of ESA-ESTEC, technology? How can we deploy space to space. Some of the objects can even be the technological heart and the largest technology for climate and environment touched. facility of the European Space Agency issues? Which new know-how, materials When visitors know the exhibitions by ESA. and medicines are offered by space tech- heart and still want to learn more, they At Space Expo, historical, current and nology? can take the Space Train on weekends future space events can be seen and ex- Space Expo gives these topics a place in and during school holidays for a guided perienced. The museum presents visitors society, by developing evocative and edu- tour behind the scenes of the European with a unique look into the space sector in cational exhibitions. It does this as visitors Space Agency. The Netherlands and Europe. It is a meet- centre of ESA-ESTEC and as showroom www.space-expo.nl

T-Minus Engineering Building a new generation of sounding rockets

Research institutes and universities forward and they have become outdated the scientist from the design of a custom looking to conduct science in the and unreliable. rocket or payload, to launching it at one of upper atmosphere, need rockets to T-Minus Engineering is building the new the world’s sounding rocket ranges. get their instruments up there. T- generation of sounding rockets, starting In the province of Zuid-Holland, the Minus Engineering builds sounding with the T-Minus DART: a rocket that can epicentre of space in the Netherlands, rockets that provide a great balance bring payloads to 120 km altitude. The we have our office and workshop where between cost and performance. payloads are used to measure our upper we design and build our rockets. Every atmosphere in-situ, which is impossible part, from graphite nozzles, aluminium The rockets used in the sounding rocket with techniques other than rockets. With body parts, launch infrastructure to flight business are commonly leftover military these measurements, climate forecasting electronics, is designed and built here. In products. These provide a great balance and reliability of radio communication our yet to be opened facility in Deventer, between cost and performance. The can be improved. we will be able to produce our own rocket massive manufacturing power in the six- Our customers, the research institutes and propellant. Paving the way for new prod- ties and seventies made these rockets universities using sounding rockets, are ucts, always aiming higher and better. readily available at interesting prices for always looking for a better way to do their research. Push the clock half a century science. We at T-Minus can accommodate www.t-minus.nl

44 Ruimtevaart 2018 | 3 Terma BV

Building test software for spacecraft

Artist’s impression - The JUICE spacecraft at Jupiter (launch 2022). [ESA]

Every spacecraft that is looking the reliability of space missions today. sions cover scientific, Earth observation to leave Earth’s atmosphere must Today, much of the work is based on and telecommunication purposes. We be rigorously tested. Terma builds the software products we have de- also provide spacecraft control systems software tools manufacturers use veloped, namely TSC and CCS5 (see for satellite operations. to test their spacecraft. The inter- ccs.terma.com). This product is being The second main activity is to provide national company – headquartered used in the OneWeb programme, where it specialist services to ESA-ESTEC – rang- in Denmark with offices worldwide will be testing up to sixty satellites in par- ing from highly specialist engineers to IT including the Netherlands and Ger- allel at the main production line in Florida. service teams. many – also builds flight hardware Our products are also in use in many and provides specialist support. other missions such as MetOp-SG, JUICE, An international company Euclid, Quantum, ENMAP, EDRS and Terma B.V. is part of the larger Terma Terma has been present in The Nether- Electra, to name but a few. These mis- Group. Space activities are also performed lands for nearly 40 years. We started by in Denmark and Germany. We have de- providing specialist consultants to ESA- veloped the ASIM experiment which was ESTEC and have expanded into different recently – on April 2nd 2018 – launched on areas within The Netherlands, but are also a Falcon 9. ASIM, for which Terma was the active in Germany and Denmark. industrial prime contractor, is a climate Today, there are 50 space industry pro- research instrument that attaches to the fessionals, mostly engineers, working at outside of the International Space Station. Terma. We are active in many of the new In Denmark we make flight hardware, space programmes, ranging from the lat- such as power electronics for spacecraft, est ESA scientific missions such as JUICE star trackers and remote terminal units. (JUpiter ICy moons Explorer) to the newer We also develop flight software. very commercial programmes such as the In Germany, we make spacecraft control OneWeb megaconstellation. systems, spacecraft simulators and pro- vide specialist support in areas such as Testing spacecraft flight dynamics to help spacecraft navi- The first main activity today in our Dutch gate to their correct destinations. office is spacecraft checkout and con- We have an excellent reputation for qual- trol systems. This is a tool which allows ity and innovation in all the areas in which spacecraft manufacturers to test their we work today. Terma Group has a total of spacecraft under close to true operational 180 people working in space. conditions prior to the launch. These sys- Artist’s impression of one of the 900 One- tems make a significant contribution to Web Satellites. [OneWeb] www.terma.com

Ruimtevaart 2018 | 3 45 TNO

Fighting climate change, one optic at a time

TROPOMI, optical bench.

It’s no wonder that the country TNO’s work in space revolves around general goal that TNO wants to achieve, where the microscope and the a couple of fundamentals, says Kees which is job growth for the country. telescope were first invented is a Buijsrogge, director of space and scientific “When we design an instrument that big contributor to international instrumentation within the organisation. needs to be produced in large quantities, space projects. Many telescopes use The exploration of the universe as a fun- we don’t do it ourselves,” Buijsrogge Dutch optics, as does ESA’s Earth damental science is important, but TNO explains. “Rather, the organisation tries observation programme. Many of also focuses on sciences closer to home. to position Dutch companies for the these technologies come from TNO, Analysing and combating climate change manufacturing and selling.” the Netherlands Organisation for is an important aspect of their work, Buijs- It’s difficult to say just how much eco- Applied Scientific Research. rogge says – perhaps the most important. nomic benefit the Netherlands gain from Instruments designed and built by TNO TNO’s work – there are too many variables TNO is an organisation that, in its own map air pollution in high detail, which is to derive an actual figure– but Buijsrogge words, stimulates innovations that can obviously beneficial to the whole planet. says there are plenty of examples that accelerate the work of Dutch companies. “Fighting climate change starts with show TNO’s value. Recently, the Enabling The organisation operates in a lot of actually seeing and understanding it,” Technologies Group of the Eindhoven- industries, ranging from the medical to Buijsrogge says. “The instruments we based VDL was awarded a multimillion the maritime sector, but also the space make with companies like Airbus and euro contract to make components for sector. In cooperation with many different institutions such as SRON and KNMI can ESO’s Extremely Large Telescope (ELT). companies, TNO’s technologies can help policymakers fight pollution. We The components were developed by TNO be found on prominent satellites used make it visible for them.” (with help from NOVA), which VDL will for Earth observation (Sentinel) and Besides climate change research, now mass-produce. “The key is to con- exploration of the universe (GAIA). TNO increasingly focuses on making nect companies to international partners secure broadband connectivity happen. so that they can do their work optimally,” Big in space Buijsrogge: “The Internet of Things is Buijsrogge says. “That’s something The Netherlands has always been an becoming a big part of our lives, everything we’re really proud of, and something we important player in the European space and everyone is getting connected. We emphasise more and more in our space industry, being one of the founding do research and product development strategy.” members of ESA and providing a home for laser satellite communication to This is what a small country like the for ESA’s test centre ESTEC. This has led communicate over higher speeds, and do Netherlands is good at, Buijsrogge to the rise of a high-tech innovative space it securely.” says. Famous for its ‘polder model’, the industry that makes important contribu- country has the ability to bring together tions to the European and international Strengthening the position many parties to make one well-built end- space programmes. Many of these inno- of Dutch industry product. “For instance, scientists from vations can trace their origin to TNO. All these research pillars have a more meteorological institutes indicate what

46 Ruimtevaart 2018 | 3 GAIA, Basic Angle Monitoring (BAM) system. they need, and we try to connect them to resolution of 7 x 3,5 km – a range that can big opportunity there.” the industry.” pinpoint the levels of pollution on a city- That doesn’t mean ESA will be phased “As far back as the design process, we try wide scale. out or even have a diminishing role, to hook up businesses that might build In recent years, TNO has invested heavily Buijsrogge says. In fact, these classic and sell the products we design. That in a facility for the realisation of optical models will exist in the future as well, with way, our work has maximum economic components. “There weren’t really ESA funding the first preliminary research. impact,” Buijsrogge says. any places where we could find such “The difference is that subsequently components, so we decided we wanted commercial enterprises can take over Understanding the universe to keep and improve the ability to make development for applications like satellite In some cases, these principles come those ourselves,” Buijsrogge explains. communications,” Buijsrogge says. together. Buijsrogge: “We’ve been Not only is commercialisation a smart working in astronomy for years, which has Commercial market needs move economically, it’s also a necessary given us plenty of practical knowledge on In the future, Buijsrogge sees huge one. Buijsrogge: “If we as TNO want using laser technology to look through the potential for a commercial space industry, to remain a significant player in the atmosphere.” He refers to instruments an industry which doesn’t rely on the international market, we also need to TNO has built that are used on the ELT European Space Agency for its primary take into account the commercial market or other telescopes. “Such knowledge is funding. “It’s healthy for the industry to needs as well as the institutional world of very useful for developing secure satellite look beyond institutional funding.” ESA and other similar bodies.” communications.” It’s a logical step, he thinks, because the Overall though, it’s not just organisational scale of space-related applications is www.tno.nl/en/focus-areas/ capabilities that make TNO so vital for expanding. “That’s something we haven’t industry/roadmaps/space-scientific- the Dutch space industry. Optics are the seen in the Netherlands before, there’s a instrumentation/ key to the work TNO does in regard to space sciences. Around 80 per cent of the TROPOMI, optical bench. work at TNO revolves around optics and photonics, fields that originated in the Netherlands. Perhaps the most famous examples of these are the OMI and the improved TROPOMI instruments for ESA’s Earth observation programme Copernicus. TROPOMI is currently operating on the Sentinel 5 satellite, measuring nitrogen dioxide in the atmosphere with a

Ruimtevaart 2018 | 3 47 The Netherlands Space Society (NVR) was founded in 1951. Its goal is to inform people who are interested in space about space research and technology, and to connect them to each other. Till this day our motto is:

The NVR aims to promote the knowledge of and interest in space, in the broadest way possible.

The NVR focusses on people who are involved in space be- cause of their profession, students of space related studies as well as members of the general public who are interested in space. The organisation offers its members and stakeholders a platform for information, communication and activities. The NVR represents its members and aims to be a respected party in discussions about space regarding policies, research, edu- cation and the industry. Not just in the Netherlands but also internationally. For this reason the NVR has been part of the International Astronautical Federation since 1951. The NVR also forms strategic alliances with sister associations (such as the British Interplanetary Society) and other interested parties. Members of the NVR regularly receive newsletters and mailings informing them about activities that are being orga- nised, such as lectures and symposia. All members receive the quarterly magazine ‘Ruimtevaart’. The magazine focusses on background information regarding current and future space projects, and also gives updates on developments in space research and technology. Articles give special attention to Dutch involvement in projects as much as possible. Most of the authors affiliated with ‘Ruimtevaart’ are involved with Dutch space activities, and many of them are scientists, engineers or end users. SSP18 Special An individual membership of the NVR costs € 35,00 a year. Students can apply for a free membership, which comes with an electronic subscription to the magazine. For more infor- mation about individual memberships and corporate mem- berships, please visit our website at www.ruimtevaart-nvr.nl.