ESA Related Space Projects
Since Hungary joined, C3S closely collaborated with ESA on several small and large satellite projects not only as a subcontractor/ supplier, but as a prime contractor as well.
RADCUBE
RADCUBE Mission
RADCUBE mission demonstrates miniaturized, on-board instrument technologies of the 3U CubeSat platform. The primary scientific objective is the in-situ measurement of space radiation and magnetic field environment in LEO for real-time monitoring of space weather including the radiation that spacecrafts, spacecraft components and astronauts are exposed to. The project is an international consortium including the Hungarian Centre for Energy Research, ICL and Astronica, led by C3S LLC. Primary payload RadMag is developed by Hungarian Centre for Energy Research.
PLATO 2.0
PLATO 2.0
C3S has designed and prototyped Ancillary Electrical Unit (AEU) for ESA’s PLATO 2.0 medium-size satellite mission aiming to detect and characterize extrasolar planetary systems. The AEU was responsible for power distribution and synchronization between the payload of 24 cameras and the platform. The project was closed in 2019 at TRL 3.
SMILE
SMILE
During the SMILE mission (Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer) C3S is responsible for the development of the primary payload power supply. Two types of power modules are included in the unit. These are the power supplies for CCD cameras and digital subsystems. They have an FPGA as a main controller, which provides the telemetry from the boards, and handles the control signals. The project was closed in 2019 at TRL 4.
HiReL
HiReL
Hirel Manufacturing Capability Demonstration is performed in cooperation with G.L. Electronic, a Czech company with over 12 years of experience in electronics manufacturing for the aerospace industry. This ESA funded project prepares a long-term partnership between the two companies by verifying that C3S’ designs will be manufactured by G.L. Electronics according to relevant ECSS standards. Expected close-out is Q2 2021 at TRL 9.
OWL
OWL
OWL (On-board Whereabouts Locator) is a VHF transmitter capable of sending valuable data in the form of short messages over the VHF channel. This in-orbit automatic identification and localization system provides access to satellite position data, facilitating spacecraft localization and identification even before establishing a connection.
- It features a platform-independent design.
- It can fit into the spacecraft’s Tuna Can without occupying payload space.
- It is equipped with its own battery, enabling independent operation from the platform for a minimum of 18 hours.
- It includes a secondary communication subsystem that can provide ancillary data during the commissioning phase.
- It offers easy plug-and-play integration.
- It can gather additional health and telemetry data if it has access to additional power sources from the satellite
