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At SENER, we provide sustainable and innovative solutions in infrastructure, transportation and mobility, where we have the best teams to carry out comprehensive engineering projects. Our aim is to offer our clients the most advanced technological solutions and achieve international recognition based on our independence and commitment to innovation, sustaina
This module is used by astronauts to carry out all types of experiments, such as cultivating plants and creating new metals. It features several components developed by SENER and is also the first European facility dedicated to long-term microgravity research.
SENER developed different structural elements for Columbus, including the conception, development, assembly, qualification testing, and delivery of the supporting structures (racks) of subsystems.
Furthermore, SENER supplied the structure of the external platform, designed for performing experiments outside the pressurised area (vacuum). It also supplied the set of flight-qualified structures responsible for the internal housing of the fluid laboratory equipment in the corresponding rack, providing the means to open, close, extract, and insert the equipment.
For the biological experiment facility in Columbus, Biolab, SENER supplied two thermal storage systems to preserve samples at different temperatures: the temperature controlled unit (TCU) and the automatic temperature-controlled stowage (ATCS). It also provided the power electronics for the thermal subsystem of the incubator and all of the electronic subsystems of the experiment preparation unit.
In addition, SENER was the main contractor of the Muscle Atrophy Research and Exercise System (MARES), which is installed in the Columbus module, and analyses the effects caused by weightlessness on human muscles.
In its 10 years of operation, the European laboratory has conducted over 225 experiments in disciplines as varied as solar science, psychology, astrobiology, metallurgy, and microgravity. Here’s to another ten years of the success for the Columbus Laboratory in the International Space Station.
At SENER, we provide sustainable and innovative solutions in infrastructure, transportation and mobility, where we have the best teams to carry out comprehensive engineering projects. Our aim is to offer our clients the most advanced technological solutions and achieve international recognition based on our independence and commitment to innovation, sustaina
The FixBox is a piece of equipment used in the International Space Station (ISS) for vegetal biology experiments.
This is a joint NASA and ESA research project consisting of investigating the growth of Arabidopsis Thaliana seeds to study the effects of microgravity and light on their development. It will be carried out in the European Modular Cultivation System of the Columbus module and will use experiment containers and cartridges developed by NASA for a previous experiment.
Once they have germinated, the seeds must be treated with fixatives to preserve them until they return to Earth,
The FixBox is a piece of equipment used in the International Space Station (ISS) for vegetal biology experiments.
This is a joint NASA and ESA research project consisting of investigating the growth of Arabidopsis Thaliana seeds to study the effects of microgravity and light on their development. It will be carried out in the European Modular Cultivation System of the Columbus module and will use experiment containers and cartridges developed by NASA for a previous experiment.
Once they have germinated, the seeds must be treated with fixatives to preserve them until they return to Earth, where they will be scientifically evaluated. However, neither the experiment container nor the cartridges have the capacity to fixate biological samples. Therefore, a device, the FixBox, had to be developed to provide this chemical fixation.
Contact us to find out how we can help you.
This module is used by astronauts to carry out all types of experiments, such as cultivating plants and creating new metals. It features several components developed by SENER and is also the first European facility dedicated to long-term microgravity research.
SENER developed different structural elements for Columbus, including the conception, development, assembly, qualification testing, and delivery of the supporting structures (racks) of subsystems.
Furthermore, SENER supplied the structure of the external platform, designed for performing experiments outside the pressurised area (vacuum). It also supplied the set of flight-qualified structures responsible for the internal housing of the fluid laboratory equipment in the corresponding rack, providing the means to open, close, extract, and insert the equipment.
For the biological experiment facility in Columbus, Biolab, SENER supplied two thermal storage systems to preserve samples at different temperatures: the temperature controlled unit (TCU) and the automatic temperature-controlled stowage (ATCS). It also provided the power electronics for the thermal subsystem of the incubator and all of the electronic subsystems of the experiment preparation unit.
In addition, SENER was the main contractor of the Muscle Atrophy Research and Exercise System (MARES), which is installed in the Columbus module, and analyses the effects caused by weightlessness on human muscles.
In its 10 years of operation, the European laboratory has conducted over 225 experiments in disciplines as varied as solar science, psychology, astrobiology, metallurgy, and microgravity. Here’s to another ten years of the success for the Columbus Laboratory in the International Space Station.
The On-line Ammonium Analyser (OLAA) emerged from ESA’s need to have an on-line system for monitoring ammonium in the ISS in order to verify that the various water recycling processes meet the quality requirements imposed by ESA.
To this end, the goal of the OLAA project is to determine, following a feasibility study to apply in space the various techniques used on Earth, the ideal analysis technique for the on-line measurement of ammonia in the water recycled in the ISS.
The project was led by Sener Aeroespacial,
The On-line Ammonium Analyser (OLAA) emerged from ESA’s need to have an on-line system for monitoring ammonium in the ISS in order to verify that the various water recycling processes meet the quality requirements imposed by ESA.
To this end, the goal of the OLAA project is to determine, following a feasibility study to apply in space the various techniques used on Earth, the ideal analysis technique for the on-line measurement of ammonia in the water recycled in the ISS.
The project was led by Sener Aeroespacial, which relied on contributions from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) and the University of Porto. Sener Aeroespacial was responsible for specifying the system requirements, for leading the phase to identify/select the techniques for measuring the ammonia, and for the space feasibility study, as well as for carrying out the conceptual design of the flight equipment on the basis of the ammonia monitoring technique selected.
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At SENER, we provide sustainable and innovative solutions in infrastructure, transportation and mobility, where we have the best teams to carry out comprehensive engineering projects. Our aim is to offer our clients the most advanced technological solutions and achieve international recognition based on our independence and commitment to innovation, sustaina
The International Berthing and Docking Mechanism (IBDM) is the European androgynous low impact docking system that is capable of docking and berthing large and small spacecraft.
Sener, as part of a European consortium, has developed the Hard Capture System of the IBDM. The function of the HCS is to create a rigid structural connection to allow for a pressurised passageway between the two spacecraft. It also includes connections for the transfer of electrical power, data and fluids such as fuel.
The IBDM has been designed to be compatible with the International Docking System Standard (IDSS) and hence compatible with the ISS International Docking Adapters (IDA) on the US side of the International Space Station (ISS).
The International Berthing and Docking Mechanism (IBDM) is the European androgynous low impact docking system that is capable of docking and berthing large and small spacecraft.
Sener, as part of a European consortium, has developed the Hard Capture System of the IBDM. The function of the HCS is to create a rigid structural connection to allow for a pressurised passageway between the two spacecraft. It also includes connections for the transfer of electrical power, data and fluids such as fuel.
The IBDM has been designed to be compatible with the International Docking System Standard (IDSS) and hence compatible with the ISS International Docking Adapters (IDA) on the US side of the International Space Station (ISS). The possibility of modifying the system to accommodate new docking standards has been taken into account during the project phase, so it has the required flexibility to allow the integration of the IBDM into different vehicles.
This extremely precise and complex system may become a standard for manned space missions in the future.
The main components of the HCS are:
Sener is responsible for design, implementation, integration and testing of Separators, Resource Transfer Umbilical, MMOD cover, and two types of sensors: Ready To Hook Sensor (RTH) and Undocking Complete Sensor (UCS).
One of its potential applications is in the successor of the International Space Station, the Gateway station, whose construction, with SENER Aeroespacial participation with five different contracts, is planned for 2025. Ultimately, Gateway will be embedded in space around the Moon and will serve as a strategic point for distant space expeditions, such as a manned flight to Mars. Part of it will be the I-HAB, a habitat for astronauts arriving from Earth, developed by ESA member companies. I-HAB is expected to be equipped with the HCS system developed by Sener.
Contact us to find out how we can help you.
At SENER, we provide sustainable and innovative solutions in infrastructure, transportation and mobility, where we have the best teams to carry out comprehensive engineering projects. Our aim is to offer our clients the most advanced technological solutions and achieve international recognition based on our independence and commitment to innovation, sustaina
Meteosat Third Generation (MTG), a mission from the European Space Agency (ESA) that is primarily geared toward broadening the capabilities of the Meteostat Second Generation (MSG) program, aimed at global and regional weather forecasting, as well as atmospheric monitoring.
MTG will comprise six satellites installed in two different platforms. MTG-I and MTG-S, with two key instruments, the Flexible Combined Imager (FCI) and the Infra-red Sounder (IRS). Each instrument is integrated into its corresponding platform, and their mission is to carry out complementary observation tasks.
Sener’s scope in this program include the design and delivery of two critical elements of the subsystem: the Scan Assembly (FCI and IRS SCA) and the Calibration and Obturation Mechanisms (FCI and IRS COM); and the supplying the Attitude and Orbit Control System.
Sener is also responsible for the DCS (Data Collection System), which collects environmental data recorded by platforms located in remote areas, such as weather stations, ocean buoys and tide gauges. These platforms measure parameters relating to weather conditions, rainfall, river levels and flow rates, water quality and tides, among others. The data is sent to the satellite and immediately relayed to ground stations for processing and distribution, providing valuable information for observation and forecasting, particularly in areas where alternative communications are limited.
The sweeping or scanning mechanisms are key elements of the FCI and IRS in terms of optical quality and the accuracy and pointing stability of the M0 mirror in both telescopes. They generate high resolution Meteosat images through sweeping, thereby eliminating the axial movement of the satellite (spinning) that currently occurs in MSG.
In terms of the calibration system for the FCI, the mechanism proposed by Sener is similar to a filter wheel that rotates the selected element to position and includes integrated optical devices, a black-body radiator, filters, and the shutter. The IRS, on the other hand, will have a mirror mechanism that will rotate on an axis in order to select between the black body radiator, the calibration, the shutter or the observation position.
Sener consists of supplying the Attitude and Orbit Control System, Special Check Out Equipment (AOCS SCOE) for the mission. The aim of this equipment is to provide interfaces for both simulation and stimulation of the sensors and actuators that make up this AOCS, at the same time as enabling real-time simulation of the dynamic conditions, kinematics, and effects that the physical environment will have on the satellites. The verification of avionics and especially of the Attitude and Orbit Control System (AOCS) or the Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC) subsystem is a fundamental activity in the flight segment of any space system. Until now, test benches used for this purpose have been produced specifically for each project. But now, SENER has developed a reusable, flexible and scalable system, which can be rapidly adapted and integrated into any verification campaign. The generic AOCS SCOE includes a real-time simulator with the features and capabilities needed for proper AOCS verification.
These units represent a huge engineering challenge for Sener due to their great technical complexity and the wide range of disciplines involved, such as thermo-mechanical design, optics, control engineering, electronics and software.
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