Update on Certification and Regulations of Airborne Wind Energy Systems: The European Case for Rigid Wings

Status and Development Plan of the PowerPlane of Ampyx Power

Tethers in Space: A propellantless propulsion in-orbit demonstration

Space tethers are cables that connect satellites or other endmasses in orbit. The emptiness of space and the near-weightlessness there make it possible to deploy very long and thin tethers. By exploiting basic principles of physics, tethers can provide propellantless propulsion and enable unique applications such as the provision of comfortable...

Conceptual Design of the FAST-D Formation Flying Spacecraft

The paper presents the latest results in the design of FAST-D, the Dutch micro-satellite for the Dutch–Chinese FAST (Formation for Atmospheric Science and Technology demonstration) formation flying mission. Over the course of the 2.5 year mission, the two satellites, FAST-D and FAST-T, will demonstrate various new technologies and perform...

Design, development and test of a compact lightweight capsule recovery system

This paper reports about the development and test of a recovery system for small capsules, originally developed for the YES2 satellite launched in 2007, that included a miniature re-entry capsule, Fotino. The system includes a beacon and parachute, an activation system, and a compact spring-based parachute ejection system, initiated by a...

The YES2 Experience: Towards Sustainable Space Transportation using Tethers

Today there is no common vision on sustainable space transportation. Rockets expel gasses and solid rockets often small particles. These have negative effect on the environment, but it is not understood to what extent. With ever growing demand for access to space, sustainable technology developments are to be made. In this respect a truly...

Summary of Data Analysis of the YES2 Tethered SpaceMail Experiment

The 2nd Young Engineers' Satellite (YES2) is a 36 kg student-built experiment that piggybacked on the Foton-M3 microgravity platform in September 2007. YES2 intended to demonstrate tethered SpaceMail, a concept for frequent sample return originally proposed for the International Space Station (ISS). This paper summarized the YES2 mission results...

Summary of Data Analysis of the YES2 Tethered SpaceMail Experiment

YES2: An innovative space experiment

The faculty of Electrical Engineering of the Delft University of Technology is involved in several satellite projects, such as MiSat and Delfi-C3. Somewhat lesser known is the 2nd Young Engineers’ Satellite (YES2), which is due for launch in 2007 on the Foton-M3 mission. YES2 is now a full project of the European Space Agency (ESA), and is the...