Space instrument design systems
The research area includes, among other things, basic technological research, identification of material for space-based instruments and systems, including systems based on artificial intelligence, autonomy and ensuring the robustness og these technology systems. The division also develop optical formation flying sensors and autonomous sensor systems. These systems are refined by using advanced calibration techniques.
One of the main research areas is camera based systems for navigation and space exploration. We develop, design, build, test and implement star tracker systems - stellar compasses - for spacecraft attitude recovery and navigation. Our camera systems are fully autonomous and can support a wide range of imaging applications e.g. the MCC camera used to navigate the PIXL instrument on NASAs perseverance Rover on Mars.
Another main area is magnetometer systems. We develop, design, build, test and implement magnetometer for measuring the Earth's global magnetic fields from space and for exploring magnetic fields on other planets and objects in the solar system.
Examples on missions and projects:
- ESA Swarm mission. We have designed the mission’s core measurement technology and delivered Star tracker systems and magnetometer systems for the three satellites which constitute ESA’s Swarm mission. DTU Space leads a part of the scientific work with this mission that is measuring the Earth Magnetic field with a very high degree of accuracy.
- NASA JUNO mission. We have delivered the Star tracker camera system for NASA’s Juno mission which is exploring Jupiter. The system is part of the magnetic mapping instrument examining Jupiters magnetic field.
These cameras also perform the high energy particle mapping for the mission. - NASA Mars 2020. We have delivered an advanced camera based system for navigation and exploration of Mars. Mars 2020 is a NASA high profile mission that landed and started exploration of Mars in 2021.
- NASA mission to Psyche. For this NASA profile mission that is to explore the asteroid Psyche that orbits the sun we have delivered a high precision magnetometer system in cooperation with reputable universities, among them Yale, MIT and Caltech.
- ESA PPROBA3 enabling and support testing satellite missions. PROBA stands for PRoject for OnBoard Autonomy. PROBA-3 is devoted to the demonstration of technologies and techniques for highly-precise satellite formation flying. Find more information here at ESA
- We also participate in the NASA missions Gedi (mounted on ISS), MMS and contribute to the EMM Mars mission to study the nature and evolution of the gossamer atmosphere.
- We participate with instrumentation and research to a suite of EO missions focused on characterizing the Earth, its biosphere and changes in these, forming the scientific basis of nearly all analyses of phenomena such as environmental changes, resource governance and sustainability. One of these e.g. being NASA's PACE-mission.
The above is just a few of the research areas and missions we work with in the field of Space instruments design systems.