EPFL Scientastic 2024
2024-11-09 - 2024-11-10 | EPFL AVP SAO SPS, Bâtiment GA, 2ème étage, Station 5, Lausanne, Vaud, 1015, Switzerland
Scientastic sera de retour sur le campus lausannois les 9 et 10 novembre 2024 !
Ne manquez pas cette nouvelle édition qui vous réservera bien des surprises !
Alors à vos agendas !
Scientastic, c’est:

La découverte des sciences et des technologies au cœur du campus, pour les adultes et les enfants.
Des rencontres avec les scientifiques et chercheurs qui inventent le monde de demain.
L’occasion de comprendre l’impact des sciences et des technologies sur notre quotidien.

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Workshop: Quantum for Space
2024-11-07 | ESDI – European Space Deep-Tech Innovation Centre @ PSI, Paul Scherrer Institut PARK INNOVAARE/EPIA, Forschungsstrasse 111, Villigen, 5232, Switzerland
Register here!

Sustainable Space Hub Coffee
2024-11-06 13:00 - 14:00 (Europe/Zurich) | EPFL PPB 019
Join us for the next Sustainable Space Hub coffee on November 6th, 13h00 in PPB 0 19 (EPFL Campus).
September and October have been intense with several events and conferences that included the topic of space sustainability.
The 3rd Workshop on “Life Cycle Assessment of Space Transportation Systems” took place in Stuttgart. 35 experts from politics, space agencies, industry and research came together to exchange about the current status and possible approaches to assess the environmental impact of rockets.
Later, the CleanSpace Days 2024 at ESTEC, with technical sessions on LCA/ecodesign, zero debris, and in-orbit servicing (IOS) gathered European experts from academia, agencies, and industries, spearheading the research and implementation of these topics. Finally, the largest annual space-related event, the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) was hosted in Milano, with its main focus on “responsible space for sustainability”. Many sessions at IAC grouped presentations about space sustainability over a broad range of research projects and technologies from all over the world.
The EPFL Space Center staffs that attended one or more of these conferences will take the opportunity of the 4th sustainable space hub coffee to compile lessons learnt and a summary of international research to share with the EPFL community.
More info on the Sustainable Space Hub.

Dark Matter Day 2024 - Discover the Mysteries of the Universe and the Brain
2024-10-31 19:30 - 21:00 | CERN Auditorium Sergio Marchionne, Campus du Portail de la science du CERN, Esplanade des Particules 1, Meyrin, 1217, Switzerland
To celebrate Dark Matter Day 2024, join us at the Science Gateway on 31 October at 7.30 p.m for an immersive evening that will take you on a journey from cosmology and particle physics to neurosciences
The most important things are invisible to the naked eye… Did you know that only 5% of the Universe is accessible to us, the other 95% of it being mysteriously dark and, dare we say… invisible?
Discover evidence of the existence of dark matter in the Universe, presented by Camille Bonvin, Associated Professor in Cosmology of the University of Geneva, such as the rotation of galaxies and the existence of gravitational lenses.
Dive into the world of particle physics alongside three young CERN researchers. Through three fun and interactive pitches inspired by experiments involving MADMAX (Yoann Kermaïdic), ATLAS (Baptiste Ravina) and AMS (Erwan Robyn), they will all, each in their own way, defend their method for exploring this mysterious dark matter. The public will have the chance to vote for the most convincing pitch – who will win?
Even more amazing is that you will discover how the examination of neurons in our brain resembles the quest for dark matter particles and that there are similarities between these two mysterious worlds, thanks to a presentation by Denis Jabaudon, Director of the department of fundamental neurosciences, University of Geneva.
Join us for an evening that promises to stretch the limits of your knowledge and feed your curiosity!
Language: French (with simultaneous interpretation into English).
The doors will open at 7pm.
Free event, registration required.

Register

MOXIE: Mars OXygen ISRU Experiment
2024-10-08 15:30 - 16:30 | EPFL Campus Room BC 410
Operating on NASA’s Mars2020 Perseverance rover between February 2021 and September 2023, the MOXIE experiment (Mars OXygen ISRU Experiment) produced oxygen at night and in the day during both the annual maximum and minimum atmospheric density periods, as well as at many other times during the year. MOXIE is the first demonstration of the use of indigenous resources (ISRU = In Situ Resource Utilization) on the surface of another planet. This talk will present a summary of what MOXIE has accomplished, with an emphasis on what has been learned from MOXIE about operating future solid oxide electrolysis systems on Mars.
Dr. Jeffrey Hoffman is a professor in MIT’s Aeronautics and Astronautics Department. He received a BA in Astronomy (summa cum laude) from Amherst College (1966); a PhD in Astrophysics from Harvard University (1971); and an MSc in Materials Science from Rice University (1988). As a NASA astronaut (1978-1997) he made five space flights, becoming the first astronaut to log 1000 hours of flight time aboard the Space Shuttle. Dr. Hoffman was Payload Commander of STS-46, the first flight of the US-Italian Tethered Satellite System. He has performed four spacewalks, including the first unplanned, contingency spacewalk in NASA’s history (STS 51D; April, 1985) and the initial repair/rescue mission for the Hubble Space Telescope (STS 61; December, 1993). As the Astronaut Office representative for EVA, he helped develop and carry out tests of advanced high-pressure space suit designs and of new tools and procedures needed for the assembly of the International Space Station. Following his astronaut career, Dr. Hoffman spent four years as NASA’s European Representative, working at the U.S. Embassy in Paris. In August 2001, Dr. Hoffman joined the MIT faculty, where he teaches courses on space operations and space systems design. His primary research interests are in improving the technology of space suits and designing innovative space systems for human and robotic space exploration. Dr. Hoffman is director of the Massachusetts Space Grant Consortium, responsible for space-related educational activities. He is Deputy Principal Investigator of the MOXIE experiment on NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance mission, which for the first time has produced oxygen from extraterrestrial material, a critical step in the future of human space exploration. In 2007, Dr. Hoffman was elected to the US Astronaut Hall of Fame.

Information Session: Space Sustainability Continuing Education Course - Second Edition 2025
2024-10-01 13:00 - 14:00 | ZOOM
Info session objective: This session will provide a high-level overview of what Space Sustainability means: understand how can we secure the long-term usability of space and, how can we design and operate missions and space businesses with a keen focus on sustainability.
Target audience: Space stakeholders (engineers, scientists, non technical managers, policy practitioners etc), active in space agencies, aerospace industries or related fields and concerned about preserving the sustainability and safety of the space environment in the long-term

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In recent years, the exponential growth of spatial activities, driven in part by the expanding commercial use of space, has yielded promising business opportunities.However, this expansion has also left behind a significant challenge – an ever-increasing population of space debris, with over 28,000 objects currently observable in Earth’s orbit. How can we secure the long-term usability of space and design space businesses and missions with a focus on sustainability?
Space Sustainability is a new EPFL short program designed to:
Understand what space sustainability means (from historical, geopolitical,economic, societal, and environmental perspectives) and how to measure it
Explore tools and methodologies for developing more sustainable space missions (ESA’s MASTER and DRAMA suite, Space Sustainability Rating, Life Cycle Assessment & Environmental Impact Assessment, etc.)
Interact with the most recent research developments and explore the potential advantages of incorporating Environmental Social Governance (ESG) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategies within the space sector
This course is organized by EPFL Space Center (eSpace), EPFL (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne) in collaboration with International Space University (ISU), IMS Space Consultancy and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The program is designed for individuals engaged in space-related roles (engineers, scientists, non-technical managers, policy practitioners, etc.) and who share a common focus on ensuring the long-term sustainability and safety of the space environment.
This course will take place March 24-27, 2025

Course information & registration

CHASM
2024-09-14 - 2024-09-15 | EPFL Polydome, EPFL Route de la Sorge PO1, Lausanne, Vaud, 1015, Switzerland
Analogue space missions aims to replicate space missions at reduced costs and risks. They take place on Earth, underwater or even in zero-gravity flights. Their duration, equipment, protocols and crews vary considerably. Space agencies have their own facilities for high-fidelity analogue space missions, but many analogue space missions were built and run by civilians and companies.
CHASM exists to provide knowledge to the community as well as to the larger public as to what these missions are and what opportunities and research arise from them. Join us for our workshops and conference on analogue space missions. Use the links on our Wiki to learn more about their habitats, mission duration and protocols and crew selection for analog space missions. Discuss with our PARACHASM team on the topic of parastronauts. Use our research database to learn more about past and current research.

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Sustainable Space Hub Coffee
2024-09-11 13:00 - 14:00 | EPFL Campus Room BC 410
New semester, new coffee!
Join us for the next Sustainable Space Hub coffee on September 11th, 13:00 in BC 410 (EPFL Campus).
This time, we will have a short presentation from Niki Sajjad, a visiting PhD student who has spent one year at EPFL.In her PhD research, Niki focuses on the feasibility of using computer vision to estimate the 6D pose of very small satellites, such as PocketQubes, during conjunctions at distances greater than 1 km, rather than during proximity operations. Her work has important implications for in-orbit applications like Active Debris Removal and On-Orbit Servicing. The research involves analyzing feasible orbits, creating an annotated image dataset with realistic blurring artifacts, and evaluating a machine-learning algorithm for accurate pose estimation.During her time at EPFL, Niki also created a laboratory setup to simulate conjunctions and close proximity manoeuvrers. The equipment consists of a dark room with a Sun simulator and a robotic arm. Since the setup is located just below BC 410, the room where the SSH coffee will take place, we will use the opportunity to visit the lab for a small demonstration after her talk.And of course we will also have delicious cookies by
More info on the Sustainable Space Hub.

Info Session: Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships
2024-09-04 12:00 - 13:30
The Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships are available to post-graduate researchers, from over 180 other countries, who are planning to come to Switzerland to pursue research or further studies in any discipline at pre-doctoral, doctoral or post-doctoral level.
Applicants must be supported by a host professor.
The aim of this online information session is to guide you through the scholarship process and to clarify your benefits and responsibilities as the host professor.

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Space Station Design Workshop
2024-08-24 - 2024-08-30 | Technical University of Munich, Campus Ottobrunn, Munich, Germany
The Space Station Design Workshop (SSDW) is a free-of-charge one-week teaching & working seminar. The participants learn and practice Systems Engineering and the concept design of manned space systems in competitive teams.
The workshop aim for a public such as students and young professionals from all disciplines and all nationalities with English language skills, interest in human spaceflight, ability to work and communicate in an international multidisciplinary team.
Applications are open until May 15th!

More info and register

Key Elements of a Business Plan for a Startup Company - Dr. Asad M. Madni
2024-06-13 11:30 - 13:30 | EPFL Innovation Park, Buiding D, Room Uranus
About the Conference
Entrepreneurship drives economic growth by bringing revolutionary concepts and products to the forefront. However, many innovative ideas fail to secure necessary funding due to inadequate business plans. Dr. Madni, with his extensive experience in leading successful companies like Systron Donner Corporation and BEI Technologies, will address the critical components of a compelling business plan. This lecture will explore topics crucial for a startup’s success, such as product definition, competition analysis, intellectual property, and investor engagement, providing attendees with a practical framework for developing effective business plans.
Conference Schedule

11:30 AM – Registration Opens
12:00 AM – Welcome and Introduction
12:05 AM – Keynote Speech by Dr. Asad M. Madni
12:45 PM – Q&A
01:00 PM – Networking Lunch (Sandwiches and soft drinks)
01:30 PM – Event Ends

Registration
Register Now – Secure your spot (free) at the conference and gain invaluable insights into developing a successful business plan for your startup.
Speaker Bio
Dr. Asad M. Madni is an eminent engineer and entrepreneur, known for his significant contributions to technology and business. He served as the President of BEI Technologies until its acquisition by Schneider Electric in 2006. His innovations include the development of the Extremely Slow-Motion Servo Control System for the Hubble Space Telescope and the revolutionary MEMS GyroChip® technology.
Dr. Madni has been recognized globally, receiving over 100 national and international honors, including induction into the National Inventors Hall of Fame and the IEEE Medal of Honor. He has been awarded 6 honorary doctorate degrees and numerous other accolades for his contributions to engineering and technology.
Contact Information
For more information, please contact Matteo Gasbarri
The event is co-organized by the School of Engineering & the Vice Presidency for Innovation

"Seminar Series on Engineering and Society" - Asad Madni
2024-06-12 14:00 - 16:00 | EPFL Campus Room SG1
Convergence of Emerging Technologies to address the Challenges of the 21st Century
There are numerous “Grand Challenges” facing humanity that will have to be addressed by us as a global society to maintain our well-being from the standpoint of quality of life, healthcare, environment, energy needs, and manufacturing efficiency, if we are to continue humanity’s trajectory of progress. Traditional technologies based on classical disciplines and thought processes from the last several decades are no longer viable in addressing these challenges, and a new approach based on interdisciplinary thinking is necessary. Fortunately, numerous emerging technologies are advancing at an unimaginable pace, and it is the convergence of these technologies that hold the potential to alter our lives, businesses, government, society, and the planet. These emerging technologies are establishing the basis for a new paradigm in the development and commercialization of next generation intelligent, miniaturized, highly robust complex systems. This lecture will highlight the 14 Grand Challenges identified by the U.S. National Academy of Engineering and will discuss some of the major technologies and their applications including, intelligent sensors and cars, smart highways, tele-health, clean technology, next generation AI, and others. The lecture will conclude with a description of the Grand Challenges Scholars Program that is being widely adopted by academic institutions worldwide.
Biography

Dr. Asad M. Madni served as President of BEI Technologies from 1992 until its acquisition by Schneider Electric in 2006. He led the development and commercialization of intelligent sensors, systems, and instrumentation for which he has received worldwide acclaim. He developed the Extremely Slow-Motion Servo Control System for the Hubble Space Telescope, which provided the Hubble with unprecedented accuracy and stability, resulting in truly remarkable images that have enhanced our understanding of the universe. He also developed the revolutionary MEMS GyroChip® technology, which is used worldwide for Electronic Stability Control and Rollover Protection in passenger vehicles, thereby saving millions of lives every year. For his contributions and their widespread impact, he has received over 100 national and international honors and awards including induction into the National Inventors Hall of Fame, the John Fritz Medal, the IEEE Medal of Honor, the Royal Academy of Engineering Prince Philip Prize, and many others. He has also been elected to several academies and societies including the US National Academy of Engineering, the UK Royal Academy of Engineering, the Canadian Academy of Engineering, the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, and many others. He has been awarded 6 honorary doctorate degrees and 7 honorary professorships. In 2019, the IEEE HKN named its top award “The Asad M. Madni Outstanding Technical Achievement and Excellence Award” in his honor. In 2022, Tau Beta Pi established “The Asad M. Madni Distinguished Alumnus Award and Student Scholarship” in his honor as well.

ATD3 Workshop 2024
2024-06-06 - 2024-06-07 | ESA ESTEC, Keplerlaan 1, Noordwijk, 2201 AZ, Netherlands
This workshop is organized by the Working Group “ATD3”, managed by ESA and CNES through the ESA Technology Directorate and the CNES Research and Technology Directorate.
As in all the previous editions, this workshop will be an opportunity for research centres, universities, industries, and space agencies to exchange ideas, advance knowledge and discuss about the following topics:

From free-molecular to continuum regime
D4D numerical modelling and verification
Aero-thermal modelling of destructive re-entries:

fragmentation
ablation
simulation tools and techniques
uncertainty quantification
re-entry ground testing

Test Cases Collaboration Campaign:

test cases for the comparison of numerical methods and numerical rebuilding of ground tests

The format of the event will be a sequential list of presentations of about 15 minutes each, with 5 minutes brief Q&A session per presentation.

More info and register

Product safety management in high-tech industry projects
2024-06-05 16:00 - 18:00 | ZOOM
In the context of industrial project, along with quality and industrialisation, the product safety is essential to ensure a control over the project cost and schedule and guaranty the delivery of a product with the level of reliability expected. We propose to explain what a safety analysis is and why it is mandatory in any project implementation, what the company and the product gain out of it.
Catherine Suppo: with two master university graduations in applied physics and SW engineering, she has worked for aeronautic projects at the beginning of her career to branch 19 years ago in aerospace projects in France, UK, Germany and Switzerland, for Thales, AIRBUS, OHB and Clearspace. She has worked as SW engineer for on small launcher, then for Scientific Lagrange point and Mercury explorer missions.
She is now specialised in Satellite system safety since 2013, first as FDIR engineer, then as FDIR lead and FDIR expert across her companies to support different projects. She supported as well actively the elaboration of the ESA FDIR SAVOIR handbook. She has worked on GEO TELECOM, LEO Earth observation, Deep space, Rendez-vous and IOS missions. Her experience is spread over all satellite mission phases from proposal to LEOP.
Stéphane Haïssat is VP Production & Co-Founder of PANAPROD SNC
Stéphane is an Engineer in Electronics, he started his career with XEMICS, a spin-off of the CSEM at Neuchâtel.
During thirteen years in the semiconductor area, he worked for more than six years in the security for PayTV chipset within the Kudelski Group.
Working in the Aerospace industry since 2014, delivering high-end avionics systems, Stéphane successively lead the test, industrialisation and production teams, setting up new strategies in this high-demanding industry.
In 2023, Stéphane co-created PANAPROD SNC, a small entity providing consultancy services in Aerospace and Space domains.

Space and Global Health Hackathon
2024-05-31 - 2024-06-01 | Campus Biotech, Chemin des Mines 9, Geneva, 1202, Switzerland
The Space & Global Health Hackathon, organized by the Geneva Digital Health Hub (gdhub) of the University of Geneva and the European Space Agency (ESA), which will take place on May 31st and June 1st, 2024 at Campus Biotech in Geneva is still recruiting participants!
The hackathon follows the Geneva Digital Health Day (May 30) and takes place during the week of the World Health Assembly (WHA), reinforcing the city’s global health activities.
With 13 challenges, the hackathon will explore the integration of space technology with global health, covering topics from TB screening in remote areas to creating an open-access dermatology image dataset for AI research. Participants will gain invaluable networking opportunities with experts and mentors in space technology and global health, fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing. And of course, there will be interesting prizes to win.
Registration is open on the sparkboard, where more details about the challenges are available. Register before April 30th, 2024 and choose a challenge to secure your spot within the team!

More info & registration

Space-Based Solar Power, the Moon and Switzerland – A Case Study
2024-05-28 16:30 - 17:30 | ZOOM
To address the energy and climate crises, renewed interest in Space-Based Solar Power (SBSP) is being actively pursued in Europe, USA, Japan, South Korea, and China. The European Space Agency launched its SOLARIS programme in November 2022 to further investigate and mature the feasibility of SBSP through a technology R&D programme. SBSP can deliver clean and sustainable baseload and dispatchable electrical power 24/7, 365 days a year at an availability of approximately 99.5% and is not influenced by the weather nor by the day-night cycle. Over the coming decades, Switzerland needs to invest in its energy transition from fossil fuels to more sustainable energy supplies, but it remains unclear which terrestrial energy systems could best guarantee Switzerland’s energy security. Switzerland has the need, the technical means, and the financial resources to be an early user and enabler of SBSP and perhaps lead an international collaborative effort to supply Switzerland and the world with inexhaustible clean energy. The Swiss company Astrostrom is researching a unique approach to SBSP via manufacturing Solar Power Satellite (SPS) components on the Moon from lunar materials. This approach could reduce the amount of mass for a SPS launched from Earth by 80% or more as well as reducing costs and the related CO2 emissions.
Arthur Woods, founder and CEO of Astrostrom GmbH, is an astronautical artist and independent researcher with two art projects successfully flown on the Russian Mir space station. He had the fortunate experience to personally witness the beginnings of the U.S. space program while living in the immediate vicinity of Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center (1959 -1970), where he held summer jobs in 1967 & 1968 during the Apollo program. He is a member of the International Academy of Astronautics.

Symposium Research & Sustainability
2024-05-16 08:15 - 19:00 | EPFL Campus room RLC E1 240
eSpace Executive Director Emmanuelle David will present the center during the Symposium and will introduce the sustainable space projects on going at EPFL.

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New Space Forum Exploring New Space Business Opportunities and their Environmental Impact
2024-05-15 18:00 - 21:30 | IMD-Maersk Mc-Kinney Moller Center, Chemin de Bellerive 34, Lausanne, 1007, Switzerland
This forum will not only spotlight business opportunities bridging space and Earth industries but also tackle the pressing challenge of controlling the significant environmental impacts of new space ventures. It’s an opportunity to foster sustainable businesses that contribute positively to our planet.
The speakers include Dominique Foray, Professor of Innovation at EPFL; Emmanuelle David, Executive Director of the EPFL Space Center (eSpace); Maxime Puteaux, Space Industry practice leader, Euroconsult Paris; Luc Piguet, CEO and co-founder ClearSpace SA; Dr. Peter Guggenbach, Chief Growth Officer at Swissto12 SA.
More info and register

Sustainable Space Hub Coffee
2024-05-01 13:00 - 14:00 | EPFL PPB 019
After a successful first event in March, we are organising a second sustainable space hub coffee!
We will have the opportunity to hear a summary of the PhD that Alexandre Looten recently obtained at LPAC, on the atmospheric re-entry of composite materials and design for demise of spacecrafts. D4D brings an interesting trade-off to the table: while it’s seen as a solution for reducing the risks of uncontrolled re-entry (thus reducing space debris and the risk of casualties on the ground), it generates high altitude emissions (70-100km) that could have unpredictable atmospheric impacts.
Participants are then invited to take part in an open discussion over coffee and cookies.
In order to unite EPFL’s forces in the domain of sustainability in space, eSpace has launched the Sustainable Space Hub (SSH). The goal of the Hub is to coherently manage and foster the growth of topics such as space debris risks, high altitude atmospheric impacts, and other environmental impacts on Earth. 5 institutes within EPFL are currently involved in research and development projects in the field of space sustainability. The hub is connecting these individual projects in a workflow that rests on three intertwined pillars: measure, understand, and act for space sustainability.
More info on the Sustainable Space Hub.

Setting the Bar for the Replacement of the Probability of Collision Metric in Conjunction Assessment
2024-04-25 11:00 - 12:00 | ZOOM
Professional statisticians can often see issues with, and propose better solutions for, statistical methods that are used in industry; but such proposals often remain unimplemented (and therefore unused) because they are not fully sensitive to the particulars of the application. The Probability of Collision, a metric used by astrodynamicists to determine whether two satellite are likely to collide, has a number of problematic aspects that statisticians have properly criticized; but the proposed alternatives also introduce fresh problems or ignore other aspects of the operational situation. The present colloquium introduces this statistical problem and summarizes its shortcomings and some of the proposed remediations, but then proceeds to outline philosophical aspects of the operational situation that both exclude certain approaches and push towards particular ways in which proposed alternatives must be evaluated in order to be shown to be both operationally superior and viable.
Dr. Matt Hejduk is Senior Project Leader at the Aerospace Corporation and also presently serves as chief engineer for the Satellite Conjunction Analysis and Risk Assessment (CARA) project for NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. His research interests include the satellite conjunction assessment problem, satellite characterization and modeling from sensor signature data, estimation theory, and sensor and network simulation.

Swissnex Day 2024
2024-04-24 13:30 - 18:00 | Gurten Pavillon, Gurten-Park, im Grünen, Köniz, 3084, Switzerland
This year, Swissnex’s annual meeting puts the spotlight on planetary thinking, featuring researchers, innovators, and artists who are unveiling new ways of looking at the relationship between humans and the planet.

Programme

1:30pm – Registration
2:00pm – Welcome remarks
2:05pm – Keynote
2:15pm – Panel discussion
2:30pm – Lightning talks
2:55pm – Fireside chat
3:10pm – Closing remarks
3:20pm – Networking apéro
6:00pm – Event ends

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The Future of Near-Earth Space. Space Debris and Space Sustainability
2024-04-12 15:15 - 19:30 | Istituto Svizzero, Via Liguria 20, Rome, Italy
The conference will be held in English at Istituto Svizzero in Rome and online. Free entrance.
Istituto Svizzero invites experts from different fields and institutions to a one-day symposium where they share and discuss their professional outlooks on near-Earth space’s potential development until 2050. The goal of the symposium is not only to get scholars from different fields into conversation with each other but also to get more disciplines involved and to translate expert knowledge into public awareness.
Managing the Future of near-Earth Space
There are many different actors concerned with the future of near-Earth space. This panel presents different approaches to how the pollution beyond the atmosphere might be brought under control. It discusses the possibilities of active debris removal, how international dialogue on near-Earth space can be fostered across geopolitical tensions, and how satellite operators might be moved towards greater sustainability.

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Integrating Life cycle engineering of Space Systems into the Concurrent Design Process
2024-03-19 17:30 - 18:30 | ZOOM
The application of Life Cycle Engineering (LCE) within the concurrent engineering process presents a viable method for assessing environmental, social and economic impacts of space missions. Despite the importance of this for embedding sustainability principles into spacecraft design, the novelty of the concept within the concurrent engineering process has meant that the approach has not yet been widely implemented. In this presentation, Dr Wilson will discuss his experience and the challenges of applying LCE within a concurrent design setting. Drawing upon examples and case studies, he will outline the progress being made within this field, and present key findings that are important takeaways when including LCE as an engineering discipline within concurrent design studies of space systems.
Dr Andrew Ross Wilson is a Lecturer in Environmental Management at Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU). He holds a BSc (Hons) in Environmental Management from GCU and a PhD in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from the University of Strathclyde.
Andrew specialises in space sustainability, with a particular focus on life cycle assessment, carbon accounting and energy systems of engineering projects. However, Andrew’s technical background is in environmental management, and his work is extremely interdisciplinary. In this regard, Andrew’s services are often consulted by external parties with regard to the assessment, mitigation and communication of sustainability issues. This can often vary from being very specific and technical-facing, to being broad and societal-facing, and the range of risks, impacts and decision-making processes in between. Ultimately, his work aims to inform how society can transition towards a future that is truly sustainable, as envisaged through the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Due to his contribution to science and technological development, Andrew was awarded the 2018 Young Scot Environment Award, designated one of Junior Chamber International’s Ten Outstanding Young Persons of Scotland in 2019, won the ESA-EISC Space for Sustainability Award 2021, and was named GCU Alumni of the Year 2022.

Solar Flare X-ray Observations with a Cubesat
2024-02-22 17:15 - 18:15 | ZOOM
The X-ray imaging spectrometer STIX onboard ESA’s flagship mission Solar Orbiter was designed and build with a Swiss lead at the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW). STIX is now in its fourth year of operation and has recorded so far over 45’000 solar flares. The STIX detectors designed by CEA, France, work extremely reliably with all 32 detectors still working nominally showing only minimal degradation due to radiation damage. We still have over 50 STIX flight spare detectors available, and four of those will fly on a NASA cubesat mission called PADRE lead by UC Berkeley (PI J.C. Martinez-Oliveros). In this talk, Säm Krucker will introduce the science of solar flares and the STIX instrument and then show how STIX X-ray detectors are used in the PADRE cubsat mission.
Säm Krucker’s main scientific interests are in problems of plasma astrophysics, especially solar and heliospheric physics, from an observational and experimental point of view. He has a strong background in space hardware and I have been the PI of NASA’s Small Explorer mission RHESSI and NASA’s sounding rocket program FOXSI. He is currently the lead of the hard X-ray imaging spectrometer STIX onboard ESA’s Solar Orbiter mission.

USSF-MIT researchers present their work : AI Technologies and simulation tools for SSA - Space Sustainability and Policy
2024-01-24 16:15 - 17:15 | ZOOM
Captain Jacqueline Smith is a Chief of Staff Captain’s Prestigious PhD Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She is currently pursuing research in Space Policy and Sustainability in the Aeronautics and Astronautics department at MIT in collaboration withthe Space Enabled division of the MIT Media Lab. Previously, Capt. Smith served as the Digital Transformation and Innovation Officer for Space Launch Delta 45, project lead within the Space Force Headquarters Chief Technology and Innovation Office (founder of the Supra Coders program), and Director of Space CAMP (a software factory focused on the continuous development and deployment of space command and control applications). Captain Smith has a B.S. in Mathematics from the University of New Mexico and an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.
Captain Jacqueline Smith will cover:

Utilizing the Space Sustainability Rating for emerging space nation missions
Modeling NASA collision avoidance actions using the Environment-Vulnerability-Decision-Technology framework
Continuing supervision (Article VI of the Outer Space Treaty) of in-space servicing activities from a US government stakeholder perspective using Systems Architecture Framework

Captain Tory Smith earned his bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the Ohio State University before commissioning into the United States Space Force (USSF) through the Technical Degree Sponsorship Program. His first assignment was at the Air Force Research Lab Space Vehicles directorate working on Multi-Agent AI systems. He then became a founding member of the Space CAMP software development factory in Colorado Springs working on various software applications for the National Space Defense Center. Subsequently, he was recruited by the USSF Chief Technology and Innovation Office as a project lead for service-wide digital education initiatives including Digital University and the Supra Coders program. He is currently pursuing his Master’s degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT within the Astrodynamics, Robotics and Controls Lab focusing on Multi-Agent Sensor Tasking under the advisement of Dr. Richard Linares.
Captain Tory Smith will cover:

Multi-agent Reinforcement Learning (MARL) approaches for scalable ground-based sensor tasking.
Modeling the population evolution of lethal non-trackable objects in LEO using the MIT Orbital Capacity Tool (MOCAT)
Comparison of simulated data using the NASA Standard Break-up Model (SBM) and empirical data collected by the Space Fence radar for known break-up events.

Information Session 2: Space Sustainability Continuing Education Course
2024-01-15 13:00 - 14:00 | ZOOM
Info session objective: This session will provide a high-level overview of what Space Sustainability means: understand how can we secure the long-term usability of space and, how can we design and operate missions and space businesses with a keen focus on sustainability.
Target audience: Space stakeholders (engineers, scientists, non technical managers, policy practitioners etc), active in space agencies, aerospace industries or related fields and concerned about preserving the sustainability and safety of the space environment in the long-term
REGISTER
In recent years, the exponential growth of spatial activities, driven in part by theexpanding commercial use of space, has yielded promising business opportunities.However, this expansion has also left behind a significant challenge – an ever-increasing population of space debris, with over 28,000 objects currently observablein Earth’s orbit. How can we secure the long-term usability of space and designspace businesses and missions with a focus on sustainability?
Space Sustainability is a new EPFL short program designed to:
Understand what space sustainability means (from historical, geopolitical,economic, societal, and environmental perspectives) and how to measure it
Explore tools and methodologies for developing more sustainable spacemissions (ESA’s MASTER and DRAMA suite, Space Sustainability Rating, LifeCycle Assessment & Environmental Impact Assessment, etc.)
Interact with the most recent research developments and explore the potentialadvantages of incorporating Environmental Social Governance (ESG) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategies within the space sector
This course is organized by EPFL Space Center (eSpace), EPFL (Swiss FederalInstitute of Technology in Lausanne) in collaboration with International Space University (ISU), IMS Space Consultancy and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).The program is designed for individuals engaged in space-related roles (engineers, scientists, non-technical managers, policy practitioners, etc.) and whoshare a common focus on ensuring the long-term sustainability and safety of thespace environment.
This course will take place March 19-21, 2024.
Course information & registration

EPFL Space Center - 20 years Celebration
2023-12-07 18:30 - 21:00 | Rolex Learning Center, RLC E1 240, EPFL Route Cantonale, Lausanne, Vaud, 1015, Switzerland
Registrations are now closed.
Join us for a celebration of 20 years of the EPFL Space Center! Since 2003, we have sent a CubeSat into space, hosted and launched startups such as ClearSpace and the Space Sustainability Rating, guided student teams to win international competitions and to send a computer into space, and awarded a Minor in Space Technologies to over 400 students! And that’s just a few of the many space activities that have taken place at EPFL.
So we’re throwing a party! There will be speeches, a look back at the EPFL Space Center over the years, a chance to meet your colleagues and friends, and of course, delicious food and drink.

Programme

Second International Orbital Debris Conference (IOC II)
2023-12-04 - 2023-12-07 | Sugar Land, Sugar Land, TX, United States
The goal of the 2nd International Orbital Debris Conference (IOC) is to promote orbital debris research activities in the United States and to foster collaborations with the international community. The four-day conference will cover all aspects of meteoroid and orbital debris research, mission support, and other related activities.
Topics:

Measurements: radar, optical, in situ, laboratory, etc.
Modeling: engineering, long-term environment, near-term risk assessments, reentry, etc.
Operations and mission support: hypervelocity impact and protection, satellite anomalies, conjunction assessments, etc.
Environment management: mitigation, remediation, space traffic coordination, policy, etc.

More info & registration

The European Aerospace Sector: Perspectives from the industry, academia and the public sector
2023-11-28 17:30 - 18:30 | EPFL Campus room SV 1717
The aerospace industry in Europe is growing to meet a new demand for services in connection to Space, be it analytics rendered from data collected by satellites in orbit, transporting cargo beyond the atmosphere or building the necessary equipment or instruments to carry out experiments or tasks in Space. Switzerland and Spain, both members of the European Space Agency (ESA), can create interesting synergies to design and produce new systems that can compete in this new environment.
Isabel PÉREZ GRANDE
Head of the Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation at the Spanish Space Agency.
Deputy Director of Research and doctoral studies at ETSI Aeronáutica y del Espacio (Higher Technical School of Aeronautics and Space of the Madrid Technical University)
Doctor in Aerospace engineering (Universidad Politécnica de Madrid).

Mrs. Pérez Grande has been teaching and researching at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (Madrid Technical University) since 1994. Currently, she is a Professor at the Fluid mechanics and aerospace propulsion department. She carries out her research at the Ignacio Da Riva Microgravity Institute, where she heads the Aerospace development and testing research group since 2005. Her research focuses on heat transfer, thermal design and thermal control of space systems. She has contributed to the design of numerous onboard instruments such as NOMAD in ExoMars 2016 (ESA), Sunrise I and II, SO/PHI and EPD in Solar Orbiter (ESA), as well as TIRS and ATS in MEDA in Mars 2020 (NASA).
She served as member of ESA’s Physical Sciences Working Group (2013-2017) and ESA’s Human Spaceflight and Exploration Science Advisory Committee (2015-2017).
Miguel BELLÓ MORA
Director of the Spanish Space Agency (since April 20, 2023)
Doctor in Aerospace engineering (Technische Universität Braunschweig). Aeronautical engineer (Universidad Politécnica de Madrid).

Mr. Belló Mora has been CEO of Atlantic International Research Centre (AIR Centre) since the year 2000. Additionally, he has presided over the Eureka research and innovation network in 2021 and 2022.
He founded the aerospace corporation DEIMOS in 2001 and was its CEO until 2019. He was the main force behind the launching of the first Spanish satellites to observe Earth, DEIMOS 1 and DEIMOS 2. DEIMOS has branched out in Spain (DEIMOS Space, DEIMOS Aplicaciones Tecnológicas, DEIMOS Imaging), as well as in the rest of Europe (DEIMOS Engenharia, DEIMOS UK, DEIMOS Romania and DEIMOS Italy).
Before that, between 1985 and 2001, Mr. Belló worked in the Spanish aerospace firm GMV as well as in the European Space Agency (ESA) in Darmstadt, were he was Business Director, Director of mission analysis and engineering and Director of institutional space programs.
He is a member of the International Astronautical Academy, the Astrodynamics committee of the International Astronautical Federation and President of the Constellation and Mission design session of the International Astronautical Congress.
Pablo GALLEGO SANMIGUEL
Senior Vice President for Sales and Customers at PLD Space

Mr. Gallego Sanmiguel has a wide experience in the aerospace sector. He has served as mission manager in institutions such as SpaceX (2015-2018) or ESA’s VEGA mission (2008-2012). He has participated in the launch of Ariane 4, Ariane 5, Soyuz, Dnepr, Vega, Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy crafts from Kourou (French Guyana), Yasny (Russia), Vandenberg (California), Cabo Cañaveral (Florida) and El Arenosillo (Spain).
He has been a consultant and business development manager at firms such as DEIMOS (2012-2015), ISDEFE (2007-2008), Hisdesat (2003-2007), Ariane Space (1997-2003) or CASA Espacio (1990-1997).

Information Session: Space Sustainability Continuing Education Course
2023-11-28 13:00 - 14:00 | ZOOM
Join us on November 28 for an Informational Session on our upcoming continuing education course, Space Sustainability: How to design more sustainable missions?
This session will provide a high-level overview of what Space Sustainability means: understand how can we secure the long-term usability of space and, how can we design and operate missions and space businesses with a keen focus on sustainability.
Target audience: Space stakeholders (engineers, scientists, non technical managers, policy practitioners etc), active in space agencies, aerospace industries or related fields and concerned about preserving the sustainability and safety of the space environment in the long-term
REGISTER
In recent years, the exponential growth of spatial activities, driven in part by theexpanding commercial use of space, has yielded promising business opportunities.However, this expansion has also left behind a significant challenge – an ever-increasing population of space debris, with over 28,000 objects currently observablein Earth’s orbit. How can we secure the long-term usability of space and designspace businesses and missions with a focus on sustainability?
Space Sustainability is a new EPFL short program designed to:
Understand what space sustainability means (from historical, geopolitical,economic, societal, and environmental perspectives) and how to measure it
Explore tools and methodologies for developing more sustainable spacemissions (ESA’s MASTER and DRAMA suite, Space Sustainability Rating, LifeCycle Assessment & Environmental Impact Assessment, etc.)
Interact with the most recent research developments and explore the potentialadvantages of incorporating Environmental Social Governance (ESG) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategies within the space sector
This course is organized by EPFL Space Center (eSpace), EPFL (Swiss FederalInstitute of Technology in Lausanne) in collaboration with International Space University (ISU), IMS Space Consultancy and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).The program is designed for individuals engaged in space-related roles (engineers, scientists, non-technical managers, policy practitioners, etc.) and whoshare a common focus on ensuring the long-term sustainability and safety of thespace environment.
This course will take place March 19-21, 2024.
Course information & registration
