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Rosetta Midas Stage Atila space applications
19 June 2023
The ROSETTA/MIDAS space mission intends to analyze the dust resulting from the Wirtanen comet using an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM). To scan the dust, an extremely fine mechanism able to produce displacement’s accuracy in the sub-micrometer range with a limited mass, is required. The only technology which can meet this specification is the piezoelectric
actuator associated to capacitive displacement sensors, which displays several advantages : solid state design, which means no friction, noise limited by the driving electronic, …
Rosetta Midas successful launching
19 June 2023
Successful commissioning of the first flight application for C. T. in ESA / ROSETTA mission. The ROSETTA satellite has been successfully launched the 2nd of March 2004 from Kourou, French Guyana, using an Ariane-5 G+ launcher. The rendezvous with the new targeted comet “Churyumov – Gerasimenko” is expected in November 2014.
Picard Sodism pointing mechanism based on PPA40M-NM-SV
19 June 2023
PICARD is a French space scientific mission. Its objectives are the study of the origin of the solar variability and the study of the relations between the Sun and the Earth’s climate. The Satellite wassuccessfully launched, on June 15, 2010 on a DNEPR
launcher from Dombarovskiy Cosmodrome, nearYasny (Russia). The payload consists in two absoluteradiometers measuring the total solar irradiance and animaging telescope to determine the solar diameter andasphericity.
Nanometric positioning with IASI-NG Beam Splitter Mechanism Actuator
19 June 2023
This paper presents a piezoelectric motor which provides linear motion and very high resolution (40 nm steps). First, the space application (IASI-NG instrument onboard METOP-SG satellite) and associated performance requirements are presented. The internal architecture of the motor and its main components are then explained. A first focus is done on the experimental verification of the threaded interface lifetime which is a key element of the mechanism. A second focus is on the nanometric position test bench. Achieved results are provided for resolution, motion quality and position stability. Finally, results from the
vibration test campaign are presented
New actuators for aircraft, space and military applications
19 June 2023
Actuation is used in all vehicles (aircraft, spacecraft, ground vehicles, etc) to control the position and/or attitude of the vehicle, and also to deploy or retract equipment, particularly for embedded optic instruments (cameras, telescopes). As such, the actuation is a safety critical system, particularly when humans could be catastrophically affected by failures within the system. Applications for actuation are flight controls, landing gear, rotors, suspension, antennae steering, valves, scanning, positioning using hydraulic, electromechanical, magnetic and piezo actuators. In aircraft there is a common goal to reduce the number of hydraulic actuators in vehicles and eventually to replace them completely by electric actuators.
New actuators for space and aircraft applications
19 June 2023
Novel actuation systems are driver of product innovation in aerospace industry. In aircraft industry EHA technology has been recently introduced illustrating the stream of innovation directed on improving performance, reliability as well as economy. On the far side there is the radical concept of a morphing wing which offers optimizing the aerodynamics of an aircraft considerably by shape control. Rotor Active Control utilizing piezo actuation has been proofed to be very successful for vibration and noise reduction in helicopter flight test inspiring confidence in smart structure technology.
