The European Space Agency Recognises Sener’s Excellent Performance in the EUCLID Mission

The AOCS and LGA teams from Sener that participated in the European space observatory EUCLID have received formal recognition from the European Space Agency (ESA) for their outstanding work. 

The EUCLID AOCS (Attitude and Orbit Control System) is an exceptional system, unprecedented in its concept, design, and operation. It provides pointing stability (75 milliarcseconds with 99.7% confidence) never achieved, enabling the acquisition of images and scientific knowledge that the EUCLID mission is generating following its successful launch in mid-2023.

In EUCLID, Sener has been the main contractor for the AOCS system, leading its design and development, a task of critical importance to achieve the mission’s objective: to create a three-dimensional map of large-scale structures, with the third dimension being time. This will be the most comprehensive map of the universe to date, collecting data that will help understand why it is expanding at the observed rate or the nature of dark energy and dark matter, which make up approximately 95% of the universe.

In addition, Sener designed, manufactured and tested in its facilities the LGA (Low Gain Antennas in X-Band) integrated by Thales Alenia Space in the TT&C (Telemetry and Telecommand) subsystem, which has a vital function in the satellite. These antennas allow data communication from the ground stations and the satellite itself, in both directions during the LEOP (Launch and Early Orbit Phase). The information transmitted from the satellite, known as telemetry, includes its health status and data from experiments and instruments. On the other hand, the information transmitted to the satellite, known as Telecommand, includes data and configuration parameters or commands to change the status of the subsystems in real time or delayed time.

The work carried out by the people at Sener was truly challenging, and the impact of the mission is very positive for the scientific community, aligning with Sener’s purpose: transforming the world by pushing the boundaries of technology.