Guidance, navigation and control (GNC/AOCS) design and atmospheric flight mechanics activities for a wide range of space mission scenarios validated through state-of-the art simulation tools.

Areas of expertise:

• Guidance, Navigation and Control Systems: DEIMOS, due to the multidisciplinary and synergetic profile of its personnel, is capable of successfully tackling the many technical aspects of the design of on-board guidance, navigation and control (GNC) functions for space vehicles. From complete on-board GNC mission design to advanced technical studies and analysis in specific GNC functions: trajectory guidance optimisation, modern control techniques and autonomous navigation, DEIMOS provides innovative on-board GNC/AOCS solutions for any type of classical or new space scenarios: RendezVous and docking, atmospheric re-entry, launchers, non-atmospheric landing, formation flying, etc.

• Flight Mechanics (Analysis & GNC): Within the variety of mission scenarios tackled in DEIMOS projects, atmospheric flight represent an area of excellence, thanks to the solid background of the most senior engineers, gained in ESA activity, at ESA sites and at industry. It involves the development of simulation models and tools for launchers, lifting bodies and capsules, vehicle configuration optimisation (for stability and manoeuvrability), re-entry trajectory optimisation, guidance performance assessment, FCS specification and actuators dimensioning.

• Advanced Control Systems and On-board autonomy: Control problems in space are becoming nowadays more challenging due to need to cope with highly non-linear plants with fast dynamics with an increasing level of autonomy. In this context, DEIMOS performs research and application of advanced control techniques (H-inf, NDI, LPV) required to implement these new mission concepts. DEIMOS is also involved in the advanced field of autonomous spacecraft systems, by combining its huge expertise in the GNC area with experience in autonomy underlying technologies, such as model based FDI, health management systems and fault tolerant control.

• Simulation Tools for Space Engineering: The conception and design phases of any space mission require an intensive campaign of mission simulations, as a key contribution to mission design verification and, eventually, optimisation. The simulation must ensure that the modelling of space environment is adequate and realistic. Depending on the considered analysis, the key subsystems have to be accurately modelled (i.e. satellite sensors and actuators, and payload operations) considering diverse sources of inaccuracies. DEIMOS has a remarkable capacity in providing integrated space mission simulation test beds based on MATLAB/Simulink products, as preferred software environment.