Hardware development and space infrastructure

As we recounted in the previous article, Astra is a project divided into three macro-environments, called work packages, which in turn are divided into numerous tasks, namely parts of the design process. The first work package addresses an essential element when it comes to the development of new space technologies: the hardware component.

Specifically, it foresees the development of a series of advanced and innovative technological systems intended for the space industry. At the roots of the project lies the idea of bridging between purely theoretical research and ready-to-use commercial applications, as well as of creating a diverse and international ecosystem to facilitate exchanges among the people and organizations involved.

The project is made up of four main activities. The first revolves around the Crystal Eye, a pioneering instrument in astronomy. It is a sensor capable of flying along low Earth orbits (between 300 and 1,000 kilometers above the Earth) and designed to be installed on satellites or space stations. The sensor has a very compact structure: a small 20-centimeter hemisphere, weighing about 50 kilograms. Within this task, the goal is specifically to develop new technologies that will improve the Crystal Eye and make it capable of intercepting X-rays and gamma rays. Such a project will have a major impact on future space missions.

The second task focuses on the technological advancement of the lunar antenna (Lgwa, acronym of Lunar gravitational-wave antenna). This instrument, developed a few years ago by the Gran Sasso Science Institute, currently allows the detection of gravitational waves directly from the Moon, thereby effectively turning the Moon itself into a detector. In this case, the activity aims at recreating a lunar environment so that the antenna can also function on Earth. Specifically, this is achieved through a cooling process that will bring temperatures down to lunar levels in the predominantly shaded areas (thus below -200 degrees Celsius).

Another activity in the first work package foresees the development of the Campo Imperatore telescope, specifically through the creation of an infrared optical system, that is, one capable of intercepting waves of a lower frequency than those visible to the human eye. As a matter of fact, infrared sensitivity is potentially a very innovative feature in astronomy because it allows telescopes to better observe the cosmos, detecting objects that are hidden from normal optical sensors. The Campo Imperatore Telescope is an astronomical observation center founded in the 1960s, at an altitude of more than two thousand meters, atop the Gran Sasso d'Italia, which is the highest peak in the Apennines.

Finally, a key activity in Astra’s hardware work will be the development of multifunctional structures for space applications. Two in particular: commercially available Cubesat satellite platforms, or small, lightweight, cube-shaped satellites, and platforms for small loads under 20 kilograms (so-called payload technologies). With a focus not only on design and manufacturing, but also on mechanical structure. An example of a multifunctional structure is the Penetrating Particle Analyser (Pan), an instrument consisting of a magnetic spectrometer and capable of intercepting particles in space.

In short, a series of infrastructures to be developed within an ambitious project, involving people from both the industry and research institutions, with different backgrounds and skills. Moreover, this will occur in an international and intercultural context, open to mutual contamination, which is a fundamental stimulus for research and technological innovation.

Photo: Jeremy Thomas (licence)