- CLOSED -
Spring Semester 2021
The projects listed below are available to EPFL students
and exchange students registered at EPFL
Full conditions and registration HERE
If you have any question or need more information, please contact Candice Norhadian
If you are chosen for a project at eSpace, make sure to check our "how to get around" guidelines
eSpace Projects
MAKE Projects
MAKE projects are officially attached to various labs at EPFL and include semester, Minor and Master projects
Other Projects
Sustainable Space Logistics
Supervisor : eSpace (Marc-Andre Chavy-Macdonald)
Type of project : Minor or Master Project, 1-2 students
Recommended : interest in Systems Thinking and Engineering, modeling, and socio-economic dynamics as well as technology (STI/PHYS/CDM).
A System Dynamics model of the nascent Lunar resources industry has been developed with the company ispace Inc., allowing some insight into its possible evolutions. This project aims to extend the model and improve its fidelity for high-priority areas. These include sources of demand - government exploration programs and eventually satellite refuelling & telecom industry dynamics - and mining technologies. This comprises technico-economic modeling at large scales, with key identified stakeholders. An online simulator interface has been developed to showcase eSpace thinking; model improvements will thus aim for wider scrutiny & public exposure. The model can then drive discussion and planning of the future cis-Lunar ecosystem and space industry, and their attendant logistics.
- Sensitivity analysis of the current model and value-of-information calculation for extension options.
- Creation of functional breakdowns and interaction networks for model extensions.
- Consulting with key stakeholders, creation of System Dynamics model.
- Populating and validation of the SD model with data and uncertainties.
- Global Sensitivity Analysis and other analytics to derive insights.
For this project, students should contact Marc-Andre directly to discuss their interest.
Supervisor : eSpace eSpace (Sung Wook Paek, Marc-Andre Chavy-Macdonald)
Type of project : Minor or Master Project, 1 students
Recommended : interest in modeling, Python, and optimization (STI/PHYS)
Modelling tools are needed to assess new material flows in space: optimizing orbital trajectories and spacecraft subsystems to improve volumes and timelines of payload deployments. This is useful for technology roadmapping, for example by the European Space Agency (ESA). ESA has requested tools to deploy in real-time planning workshops.
EPFL Space Center currently has a tool able to partially optimize orbital transfers, propellant and spacecraft subsystem mass for (1) constellation debris removal and (2) Lunar exploration missions. It needs to be broadened to new use cases, including on-orbit servicing. It also needs a full optimizer to consider different orderings of orbital segments, and more rapid and reliable convergence. Finally, it also needs analysis & implications of results to be relatively automated (including in real-time). This project is thus Python development of a tool computing and optimizing trajectories, propellant, & subsystem design for a given mass/payload and destination. It will contribute to our understanding of novel space logistics flows & their impact, and to future technology & mission selection. Tasks will include obtaining data on specific assessment needs from ESA, creating Python modules representing new mission & vehicle types, and work on optimization and analytics.
Supervisor : eSpace (David Rodríguez, Marc-Andre Chavy-Macdonald)
Type of the project: Minor, Semester, or Master’s Project, 1-2 students
Recommended: interest in engineering teamwork, space engineering (STI/PHYS).
Ideal: background from both Space & Systems Engineering Minors
The main objective of this project is to lead eSpace’s participation in the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Concurrent Engineering Challenge. Students design a space mission together in an intensive week-long workshop (April 26th-30th), using the tools & process of Concurrent Engineering. They are in direct teleconference link with experts from ESA, who guide them, as well as 2 other groups of students at European universities.
This project will be to learn about Concurrent Engineering and conceptual design, set up the Concurrent Design Facility (CDF), its processes & tools, and the Challenge, and to prepare a “Design Observation” component. The latter allows continuous improvements of the CDF and its processes & tools via capturing & analyzing data about engineering teams in action. During the Challenge, the student will take a leading position (e.g. Team Leader, Systems Engineer, or Design Researcher). Afterwards, the student will analyze the process, CDF/team performance, and plan next steps for the CDF.
- Learn about Concurrent Engineering, conceptual design, Design Observation
- Prepare Concurrent Design Facility + Design Observation component
- Help lead ESA’s Concurrent Engineering Challenge (April 26th-30th, intensive week)
- Analyze CDF results and Design Observation data, formulate plan for next steps
Supervisor : eSpace (Sung Wook Paek, Flavio Brancato)
Type of the project: Semester project, 1 student
Recommended: interest in low-thrust propulsion technologies and their market analysis
Mass and cost estimation is essential for prototyping a space mission which is pursued by either a national space agency or a commercial enterprise. SpaceX’s internet satellites carry Hall thrusters while NASA is developing solar electric propulsion technologies for exploring the Moon and potentially Mars [1]-[2]. Since this type of propulsion is relatively new, there has been continual needs for updating the latest component database from which scaling laws may be derived [3]. At eSpace, this database could later be used for extending the capability of its space mission planning tool. After achieving this primary objective of data collecting and processing, the participant may continue to research additional topics of one’s choice (examples below).
To summarize, you will:
- create a database of various types of electric propulsion components
- derive scaling laws that describe relationship among mass, size, and power
- (optional) conduct research on economic aspects, which could be either (1) adding cost as an extra variable in the scaling laws, or (2) more qualitative analyses of the markets and ecosystems
- (optional) survey technologies for the relevant peripherals such as power generation and storage components (rather than consumption by propulsion) [4]
Please see the references below and contact Sung Wook Paek if interested.
[1]https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/05/15/spacex-releases-new-details-on-starlink-satellite-design/
Supervisor : eSpace (Sung Wook Paek)
Type of the project: Semester project, 1 student
Recommended: interest in planetary surface exploration and system-level knowledge of rover missions; (optional) coding skills in Python, Matlab, or other programming languages
The recent landing of Chang’e-5 on the Moon shows a renewed multinational interest in lunar exploration since the Google Lunar XPRIZE [1]. Rovers will play a vital role for exploring the lunar surface during initial phases and then for transportation during settlement phases [2]. A proposal has been submitted by eSpace and its collaborators to develop a smart 3D camera whose applications include a lunar rover. Using LIDAR [3]or SPAD [4] can achieve reliable navigation and real-time mapping on the Moon, but the rover dimensions and power requirements should be newly defined. The above-mentioned are active remote sensing techniques because a time delay (time of flight) between emission and return is measured. Comparing these approaches with the traditional passive method utilizing visual wavelengths would be conducive to both research and practical purposes.
Please contact Sung Wook Paek if you would like to:
- learn different types of sensors and subsystems inside a rover at a system level
- identify environmental constraints on the lunar surface (day/night, shade, etc) and derive power requirements for a rover subsequently
- (optional) simulate a short-term scenario for expedition/transportation
- (optional) simulate a long-term scenario accounting for rover degradation
- (optional) survey enabling technologies to overcome the operational constraints or a rover, such as wireless power transfer [5]
Reference:
[1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Lunar_X_Prize
[2]https://www.sciencefocus.com/space/how-to-build-a-moon-base/
[3]https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228460763_3D_imaging_lidar_for_lunar_robotic_exploration
[4]https://www.sae.org/publications/technical-papers/content/2019-01-0119/
Supervisor : eSpace (Emmanuelle David)
Type of the project: Semester project, 2 students, Master Thesis 1 student
Recommended: This project is suitable for a student interested in space sustainability, Space policy with a good knowledge in orbital mechanics, end-of-life strategies, space propulsion, system engineering.
In June 2019, the Guidelines for the Long-term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space were adopted ( A/74/20, para 163 and Annex II) . The Guidelines provide guidance on the policy and regulatory framework for space activities; safety of space operations; international cooperation, capacity-building and awareness; and scientific and technical research and development. At eSpace, we want to understand how these guidelines can be implemented, what would be the impact in the design of space missions and which infrastructure needs to be provided to ensure compliance to the guidelines (Space debris tracking, Space sustainability rating, data sharing).
In the frame of your thesis you will :
- Study the UN sustainable Guidelines
- Review the different proposition for the implementation of the guidelines (including the Space Sustainability Rating)
- Using data for eSpace partners, you will assess the behaviour of space actors regarding the UN sustainability guidelines (with a focus on mega constellation)
- Use the Space Sustainability Rating for a mission example (ClearSpace).
In the frame of the thesis, you may interact with partners of eSpace such as UT Texas, ESA Space debris Office...
Usefull links:
https://www.weforum.org/projects/space-sustainability-rating
Active Debris Removal - ClearSpace
Supervisor: eSpace + ClearSpace (Marc-Andre Chavy-Macdonald, Bastien Gorret)
Type of the project: Minor or Master Project, 1 student
Recommended: interest in systems engineering and/or safety (STI/PHYS)
Ideal: background from both Space & Systems Engineering Minors
ClearSpace is fundamentally about space safety; it is thus essential that its own operations are safe. Traditional system safety approaches are usually based on component failures; yet increasingly accidents are due to “system-level” interactions or software/operator errors, resulting from increased complexity. STAMP (Systems-Theoretic Accident Model and Processes) is a new method which overcomes these difficulties using systems thinking, and can directly generate design requirements. This project will be first to further develop a systems safety analysis of ClearSpace-1’s critical operations. Secondly, the analysis will be extended to cover general recommendations, requirements, and metrics for sustainable planning of satellite end-of-life.
- Learn STPA & perform it on a test case.
- Continue systems safety analysis (STPA) of ClearSpace-1.
- Generate & validate more safety requirements.
- Perform holistic safety analysis for generic satellite in orbital environment, generate requirements.
For this project, students should contact Marc-Andre Chavy-Macdonald directly to discuss their interest.
Planetary Robotics
Supervisor: eSpace (David Rodríguez)
Type of Project: Semester project, 1 student
Recommended: This project is suitable for a student interested in planetary robotics and lunar exploration technologies. Autonomous vehicles, systems engineering, and cis-lunar market analysis as secondary interests are an asset
A proposal has been submitted to develop a new smart 3D camera aimed at being used in drones, autonomous vehicles, spacecraft systems, and future lunar robotic missions. The technology is based on latest developments in on-chip fusion of RGB and Single-Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) data for reliable navigation and real-time mapping. This project is aimed at assessing the true potential of this technology in upcoming surface prospecting missions to the Moon.
You will:
- Analyze the state-of-the-art of the technology for autonomous navigation and the communication infrastructure supporting lunar surface exploration activities by giving answer to the following questions:
- What’s the current trend in sensor suites for autonomous vehicle navigation on Earth, both on- and off-road?
- What’s the state-of-the-art in planetary robotic navigation technology and methodologies?
- What are the limitations of the existing communication infrastructure for upcoming missions to the Moon?
- What are the existing plans to develop/expand the communication infrastructure for cis-lunar activities and its limitations?
- Assess the potential of new technologies for autonomous lunar navigation (Stereovision, LIDAR ToF, SPAD/SiMP, etc.), including:
- A description of the technology.
- Its benefits and limitations.
- An analysis of the applicability of the technology in upcoming exploration missions with respect to existing requirements.
- Assess flying opportunities for this new technology within currently existing plans for the exploration of the Moon and its resources (ISECG’s Global Exploration Roadmap, NASA’s Artemis, ESA’s EL3).
- Extra: Develop a testing and certification plan for a smart 3D SPAD camera within a 2to5-year timeframe.
EPFL Rocket Team
Supervisor: eSpace (Pierre-Alain Mäusli)
Type of Project: Semester project, 1, 2 students
Download: 2021_PP_PD_0003_TANK_PRESSURISATION_R01
The oxidizer currently used in the combustion reaction is nitrous oxide, kept liquid by its own pressure. As the tank empties, the temperature decreases due to decompression and thus the pressure as well. As the N2O mass flow rate into the combustion chamber is driven solely by its pressure, the engine’s performances will drop across the complete burn time. The goal of this project is to study the feasibility of using an additional pressurization system into the rocket to keep the tank pressure constant.
A general idea of the project’s unfolding:
1. Explore and debate different available or new solutions that have a good potential to be implemented into the rocket
2. Perform the calculations needed to get the main dimensions of the system
3. Find COTS components from providers
4. Based on a preliminary design: find mass, volume and costs of the system
5. Depending on progression during the semester: Inquire some logistics aspects such as the safety and the refilling of high-pressure gases
Skills needed (or that should be learned with the project):
• Basic fluid management components (tubing, valves, regulators, vessels)
• Basic fluid mechanics
• General physics
• Knowledge of MATLAB environment
Supervisor: eSpace (Pierre-Alain Mäusli)
Type of Project: Semester project, 1, 2 students
Download: 2021_PP_PD_0004_EMBED_IGNITION_R01
The ignition of our engine is currently using a pyrotechnic igniter that is inserted in the combustion chamber prior to flight. It is a low-cost solution that has proven its efficiency but still lacks repeatability and, most importantly, cannot reignite the engine as it will be needed in the future.
The goal of this project is to design an ignition system that will be fully integrated to the motor and can be initiated at any stage of the rocket’s flight.
A general idea of the project’s unfolding:
1. Explore and debate different available or new solutions that have a good potential to be implemented into the rocket
2. Perform the calculations needed to get the main dimensions of the system
3. Find COTS components from providers
4. Based on a preliminary design: find mass, volume and costs of the system
5. Depending on progression during the semester: buy components and perform preliminary tests
Skills needed (or that should be learned with the project):
• Electronics (possible use of high voltage)
• Basic fluid management components (tubing, valves, regulators, vessels)
• Basic fluid mechanics
• Basic chemistry
• General physics
Supervisor: Volker Gass
Type of Project: Semester project, 1 student
Download: 2021_TVC_PD_0001_System_Engineering
As part of our new research project on Thrust Vector Control, we are looking for a system engineer to coordinate the qualification phase of our different sub-systems. The goal is to use an iterative approach base on the development of various prototypes and test facilities to support many tests of growing complexity throughout the whole project. To do this, a manufacture and test plan will be developed as a tool to follow the different prototypes developed by the team. The student’s job will be to guarantee a
smooth qualification of these prototypes, up to the complete flight model. As a system engineer, the student will also take part in the day to day management of the team, discussion with the association board and with the different laboratories involved in the project.
A general idea of the project’s unfolding:
1. Define Assembly, Integration and Test plan
2. Follow the tests of the small-scale module
3. Follow the tests of the flight module
Skills needed (or that should be learned with the project):
• System engineer basic tools
• Team management
• Good communication
Supervisor: eSpace (Pierre-Alain Mäusli)
Type of Project: Semester project, 1 student
Download: 2021_TVC_PD_0002_Mechanism
As part of our new research project on Thrust Vector Control, we are looking for a mechanical engineer to
design and build our jet vanes system. This work includes the design of the jet vane shape itself, as well as the mechanism associated with it, and the design of the interface between the mechanism and the
rocket. A first iteration of this work will be realized for a smallscale rocket to do preliminary tests. The student will support the manufacture and test processes which will help him improve the design of the final flight model for our larger rocket (Bellalui 2). A final test campaign will then be realized on the flight
model to assess its performance prior to the first flight.
A general idea of the project’s unfolding:
1. Design and manufacture the small-scale model (prototype)
2. Design the flight model
3. Test the flight model
Skills needed (or that should be learned with the project):
• CAD
• Metal manufacture
• Team communication
Supervisor: eSpace (Pierre-Alain Mäusli)
Type of Project: Semester project, 1 student
Download: 2021_TVC_PD_0005_Test_bench
As part of our new research project on Thrust Vector Control (TVC), we need to develop ground test
facilities to characterize and test our systems. The most important part of the project will be to work
on the augmentation of our current motor test bench to measure sides forces and torques. This includes
selection of force and torques sensors, mechanical design and sensor acquisition. Additionally, we will investigate additional test setup that could be used to test dynamically our systems, for example gimbal motor test bench to allow for 2 or 3 degree of freedom during stabilization test, the development of a medium size drone, water rockets, or commercial of the shelf small scale rocket. The choice of which additional setup will be developed is not entirely defined, and will also depends on the student skills and interests.
A general idea of the project’s unfolding:
1. Design and manufacture 6DOF motor test bench
2. Operate test bench for TVC characterization
3. Tradeoff on dynamic test bench
4. Design and manufacture of dynamic test
bench
Skills needed (or that should be learned with the project):
• LabView and/or ROS
• Basic electronic and mechanical experience
• Basic manufacture skills
More projects available at epflrocketteam.ch
EPFL Spacecraft Team
If you have any question or need more information, please contact Nicolas Martinod
Supervisor: TBC
Type of Project: Master thesis (also possible for semester project), 1 student
In this project, you will join the CHESS mission at the end of Phase B, and you will contribute in bringing the mission to the next milestone, the Preliminary Design Review (PDR). To achieve this goal, you will need to focus on different tasks, mainly ICDs and Risk Analysis. The interface control documents (ICDs) are key to the CHESS mission. They define how the different components, subsystems of the satellite interact with each other to fulfill the mission’s objectives. The higher level architecture and requirements have been defined (mostly), we now need your help to dive into the specifics. The Risk Analysis identifies the possible failures of the system and it defines strategies to mitigate the causes and effects. A preliminary analysis has been done using FMECA. Your job would be to complete this analysis and to possibly implement STPA for the software.
Tasks:
- Familiarize yourself with the mission. As a system engineer it is your responsibility to be very well informed and be able to answer most questions or find the answers.
- Communicate with members from the other poles and universities to get information on the evolution of the subsystems development.
- Decompose the problem into manageable tasks.
- Make relevant design trade offs.
- Adapt to the situation.
- Be comfortable not knowing something and keep looking.
- Update the model of the satellite on Valispace (software) when necessary.
- Most importantly: be curious and enthusiastic about the work and the association! It will make it that much more fun.
Preferred background courses:
- Space Technologies minor
- Spacecraft Design and System Engineering (Bernard Foing) great overview
- Fundamentals of Systems Engineering (Olivier de Weck) is a huge plus
- Or similar knowledge, system engineering mentality
Supervisor: TBC
Type of Project: Semester project, 2 students
After extensive research and simulations on CHESS’s power generation and consumption, a COTS EPS has been selected and should be in our hands by February 2021. Being a vital element to the system, it is important to test the board, the batteries and the solar panel deployment system to make sure everything is well configured and ready to fly. You’ll be in touch with all of the other subsystems to try and simulate their power needs and test if the board and batteries distribute energy correctly and efficiently. Finally an estimation of State of Charge for the batteries should be made to ensure that the system lasts the full 2 years of the Mission.
Tasks:
- Estimate State of Charge of Batteries for Battery monitoring
- Finalize and Confirm Power simulations
- Test the Power Distribution Board of the EPS
- Test the Batteries of on the EPS
- Discussions and work with the rest of the team to keep the system up to date
(Optional) Skills:
- microcontrollers, electronic basis, coding skills (mainly for programming microcontrollers, C/C++)
Supervisor: HSLU (Marcel Joss)
Type of Project: Semester project/Association , 2-3 students
Telecommand and telemetry data between the satellite and the ground station is provided via a vhf/uhf radiolink. An emulation of the ground station is required to test the satellite terminal.
Within the scope of this work, the functions of a simple ground station are to be implemented on the basis of a commercially available SDR hardware.
Tasks:
Your task is to develop and implement the TC/TM modem functionality on the ground station side. In particular, the following focal points are to be worked on:
- Definition of the TC/TM protocol commands in consultation with the project partners concerned .
- Implementation and test of a suitable GUI application for the local generation of TC commands and the decoding of received TM commands.
- Implementation and test of the channel coding for the uplink and downlink radio channels according to project requirements. channel according to project requirements.
Background and skills:
- Matlab, Gnu Radio advantageous
- Soft skills
Supervisor: HSLU (Marcel Joss)
Type of Project: Semester project, 1 student
A radiolink in the 10 GHz range is provided for the transmission of scientific data. For the transmitter part on the satellite side, the baseband electronics will be designed and built as a prototype.
Tasks:
In particular, the following focal points need to be worked on:
- familiarise yourself with the project
- Identify and describe function blocks for baseband signal processing.
- evaluate commercially available components
- prototype and characterise key functions (e.g. modulation)
Background and skills:
- System simulation with AWR Design software advantageous
- Soft skills
Supervisor: HSLU (Marcel Joss)
Type of Project: Semester project/Association , 1 student
The transmitting unit in the satellite requires a power amplifier for a frequency in the range of 10 GHz. The design should be based on components that are not subject to export restrictions by the USA. Within the scope of the semester project, an amplifier design is to be built and tested with the help of the supplier's specifications.
Tasks:
In particular, the following focal points need to be worked on:
- familiarise yourself with the project
- identify and describe the functional blocks for power amplification
- evaluate commercially available components
- prototype and characterise key functions (e.g. driver, pa)
Background and skills:
- System simulation with AWR Design software advantageous
- Soft skills
More projects available at epflspacecraftteam.com
Earth Observations for Sustainability
If you have any question or need more information, please contact Charlotte Weil
Type of Project: Semester project
Recommended: Master students with expertise in satellite imagery pre-processing, ideally Sentinel.
At the Stream Biofilm and Ecosystem Research Laboratory (SBER), we study microbes that live in glacier-fed streams all around the world. We aim to answer questions relating to the loss of these unique habitats as the glaciers are melting because of climate change. An expedition team travels to these remote sites and samples stream biofilms for microbiological and molecular analyses in the lab. Several parameters related to the glacier (e.g. surface area, glacierization of the catchment, distance between the glacier terminus and sampling site, etc.) are important descriptors of the environmental conditions in the glacier-fed streams. We employ remote sensing to obtain these parameters for 200 glacier systems around the world.
You will:
Develop an automated routine that would select the most recent cloud-free and snow-free imagery available, for a region of interest. Currently the imagery used is Sentinel 2, level-2A products. The choice of tool is left to the discretion of the students (Sentinel-2 Toolbox, Google Earth Engine, or any tools of choice)
Type of Project: Master thesis
Recommended: Master students with expertise or very strong willingness to learn in machine learning, handling satellite imagery
This Master Thesis Projects aims to create a global reconstruction of monthly river discharge over the period 1900-2019 by routing the runoff estimates of GRUN (Ghiggi et al., 2019) through global hydrography datasets such HYDROSHEDS (Lehner et al., 2008,2013) and MERIT Hydro (Yamazaki et al., 2019).
More details HERE
Type of Project: Master project
Recommended: Master students with expertise or very strong willingness to learn in machine learning, handling satellite imagery
This Master Thesis Projects aims to create a global reconstruction of monthly terrestrial evapotranspiration (ET) rates via the water balance equation; the runoff flux and the precipitation flux (P) that can be derived from satellites or atmospheric reanalysis. The student will be able to train a ML algorithm to establish a link between observed ET dynamics to a set of predictors such past monthly precipitation and monthly temperature, following an approach like the one detailed in Ghiggi et al., 2019. This will allow the generation of century-long ET reconstructions, fostering the understanding of freshwater dynamics and climate variability.
More details HERE
Type of Project: Master project or semester project
Recommended: Master students with expertise in satellite imagery pre-processing
Coral reefs are estimated to cover 1% of the sea floor, nevertheless they host one third of the marine wildlife. Over the last decades, the degradation of water conditions had caused a severe decline in coral reefs around the world. An important part of this decline is due to global stressors associated with climate change, such as the raise in water temperature and ocean acidification. In particular, the anomalous raise in water temperature causes coral bleaching, a phenomenon that is decimating coral population around the world. Coral reef degradation is also caused by stressors related to local activities. Such stressors can be the wastes of human activities (e.g. industrial, agricultural, urban) or the run-off of sediments produced by coast construction. Human pressure on the reef ecosystem can also be driven by boat traffic from fishing or touristic activities, or from sea transportation.
Remote sensing data offers unprecedented opportunities to characterize the stressors that are causing the decline of coral reefs. For instance, spatial patterns of water temperature variation can be estimated using remote sensing at 1 km resolution for any reef around the world. Furthermore, remote sensing makes it possible to evaluate the land use in coastal areas, and therefore to identify polluting activities and measure their distance from coral reefs.
In this project, the student will learn how to process remote sensing data to characterize the environmental stressors causing coral reefs decline. The focus will be brought on different coral reef regions around the world, where information on the state of the reef is publicly available (https://www.catlinseaviewsurvey.com/). The student will then produce a characterization of the environmental conditions in the different areas. Such characterization will encompass: (1) existing descriptors of water conditions derived from publicly available remote sensing products (e.g. water temperature at 1 km of resolution; (2) new descriptors of water conditions derived from raw remote sensing data; (3) new descriptors of local stressors derived from the remote sensing of land use. The student will investigate the environmental descriptors correlated with changes in the state of coral reef. The most pertinent descriptors will then be used to characterize local stressors of coral reefs the Red Sea, where a transnational project is setting-up at EPFL to study the state of corals of the region.
Armée Suisse
The projects listed below are only available in FRENCH
You must be fluent in FRENCH to apply
PROJECTS FOR MASTER THESIS ONLY
Il s'agit de développer une méthode afin de déterminer la meilleure solution en termes de point de départ et de trajectoire pour un lancement orbital avec 2-3 lanceurs de référence en vue de permettre au plus vite un rendez-vous avec une vitesse relative nulle entre un satellite chasseur et un satellite cible, mais aussi un éventail de meilleures solutions combinant :
- la plus rapide
- la plus économique en carburant
- la plus discrète [en jouant sur l'ambiguïté] pour un satellite chasseur déjà en orbite afin qu'il mène une approche d'un satellite cible
Produit attendu : document écrit + module de POLARIS en Java (éventuellement. Python).
Il s'agit de déterminer de manière intelligente, sur la base de données réelles vérifiables de façon itérative, en temps réel ("online"), le temps nécessaire pour parvenir à une désorbitation passive d'un satellite donné, en tenant compte de différentes hypothèses (attitude stable ou instable, surface maximisée ou minime) et des données les plus probables concernant les facteurs non gravitationnels (vents solaires, atmosphère terrestre résiduelle).
Produit attendu : document écrit + module de POLARIS en Java
Il s'agit de développer une méthode afin de calculer les risques de conjonctions et de collisions pour un satellite donné, en fonction de l'orbite actuelle comme avec une manœuvre préparée, afin de contribuer à un pilotage plus sûr du satellite en question.
Produit attendu : document écrit + module de POLARIS en Java
Il s'agit de développer une méthode afin de générer des propositions d'esquive en cas de risque de collision ou de filature, en contribuant ainsi à une gestion plus raisonnable du trafic spatial et en identifiant des manœuvres potentiellement dangereuses pour la fonctionnalité des orbites.
Produit attendu : document écrit + module de POLARIS en Java
Il s'agit de développer une méthode afin de détecter automatiquement des manœuvres conduisant à des situations dangereuses afin d'encourager les comportements responsables, en fournissant des rapports périodiques quant aux infractions constatées.
Produit attendu : document écrit + module de POLARIS en Java
Il s'agit de développer une représentation établissant une cartographie des objets en orbite selon deux dimensions, l'altitude et l'inclinaison, afin de fournir une vue d'ensemble numérique et dynamique permettant d'identifier les concentrations d'objets, les orbites les plus chargées, les risques de conjonction les plus élevés, mais aussi les orbites encore libres pour des utilisations nouvelles.
Produit attendu : document écrit + module de POLARIS en Java