Implemented OSIP ideas — October 2022
ESA's Open Space Innovation Platform (OSIP) seeks novel ideas for new space research activities. Campaigns and Channels invite solutions to specific problems or ideas on more general topics, with those run by Discovery & Preparation, including the Open Discovery Ideas Channel, specifically looking for ideas that could be implemented as system studies, early technology developments, or PhD or postdoc research co-funded by ESA and a university.
Open Discovery Ideas Channel
In October 2022, the following ideas were implemented through the Open Discovery Ideas Channel.
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Photonic local oscillators for large Active Electronically Scanned Array
Safran Data Systems
Read more about this public idea in OSIP
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Laser Assisted Mining of Oxygen from Regolith (LAMOR)
Microelectronica (Romania)
Oxygen is the most important raw material to support human exploration of the Moon and beyond. This early technology development project intends to demonstrate a new robust and efficient way to continuously produce oxygen from lunar dust for planned activities on the Moon. The method uses laser pulses; it is unaffected by gravity and less energy-intensive than other oxygen production methods.
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Commercial use of ESA's inventions
The following idea was implemented through the Campaign for ideas for the commercial use of ESA's inventions.
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Wideband, high performance and cost effective Ka Band telecommunication TM01 tracking coupler mode for LEO Constellation gateway antennas
Safran Data Systems
The aim of this study is to develop a mechanically simple monopulse tracking device suitable for ground antennas operating in circular polarisation with K-band reception and Ka-band transmission. Such a device using two ‘turnstile’ back-to-back junctions for on-board antennas with the tracking function in Ka-band is the subject of an ESA patent.
Nevertheless, when one tries to apply this monopulse tracking transmission in K-band for ground stations, technical problems appear, in particular resonances. The proposed solution consists of improvements to the turnstile junctions by exploiting the advantages of OMJ type junctions. An engineering methodology will be applied that focuses on reducing time-to-market and total production costs. Different alternative concept architectures will be analysed and compared during the study.
Read more about this public idea in OSIP
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