Review on thermal and mechanical challenges in the development of deployable space optics

Deployable optics promise a revolution in the capability of observing the universe by delivering drastically reduced mass and volume needs for a desired level of performance compared to their conventional counterparts. However, this places new demands on the mechanical and thermal designs of new telescopes, essentially trading mass and volume...

Attitude estimation of the Delfi-n3Xt satellite

This paper presents current developments of the attitude determination algorithm for Del¦-n3Xt, TU Delft next nanosatellite. Several novel quaternion filters using Sun vector and Earth magnetic field measurements and rate gyro outputs are presented. The quaternion measurement matrix associated with each line-of-sight measurement is shown to be...

A Maximum Information Rate Quaternion Filter for Spacecraft Attitude Estimation

Building on previous works, this paper introduces a novel continuous-time stochastic optimal linear quaternion estimator under the assumptions of rate gyro measurements and of vector observations of the attitude. A quaternion observation model, which observation matrix is rank degenerate, is reduced to a two-dimensional model via a maximum...

Heliodromus: Renewable energy from space

Climate change and the related running out of fossil fuel reserves drive the development of renewable energy sources. To contribute to a solution of these problems, we present the results of a BSc student design synthesis exercise project on Space Based Solar Power (SBSP). A SBSP system generates power in space using solar cells concentrator...

Method and apparatus for vibration detection and vibration analysis, and lithographic apparatus equipped with such an apparatus

The invention provides a method for determining vibration-related information by projecting an aerial image at an image position in a projection plane, mapping an intensity of the aerial image into an image map, the image map arranged for comprising values of coordinates of sampling locations and of the intensity sampled at each sampling...

Inspection method and apparatus, and lithographic apparatus

A metrology device for inspecting a substrate is provided. In an embodiment, the metrology device includes a remote radiation source device, an optical system for creating a radiation beam, and an optical fibre for transferring radiation from the optical system to the location where the metrology operations are performed. The optical system...

Configuration management in nanosatellites projects: Evalaution of Delfi-C3 and consequent adaption for Delfi-n3Xt

The Delfi-C3 nano-satellite was launched in April 2008 and the development of its successor, the Delfi-n3Xt, is ongoing. Both of these projects are conducted by students from the Delft University of Technology as a corporation between the Aerospace Engineering Faculty, the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science and...

Method and apparatus for vibration detection, method and apparatus for vibration analysis, lithographic apparatus, device manufacturing method, and computer program

A method is provided for determining information relating to vibration. The method includes projecting an aerial image at an image position in a projection plane; mapping an intensity of the aerial image into an image map that contains values of coordinates of sampling locations and of the intensity sampled at each sampling location; and...