Description
The objective of the activity is to design, manufacture and test a tribology-free mechanism breadboard for both platform and payload pointing applications on telecom satellites. The lifetime of the developed mechanism shall be assessed, and endurance testing shall be carried out. Targeted Improvements: Enabling a European source of compact, tribology-free pointing mechanisms with no backlash or friction hysteresis effects. Description: Today pointing mechanisms are used for antenna/reflector pointing, intersatellite links(RF and optical) and directional propulsion thrusters. There are significant challenges in the design of these mechanisms includinghigh number of actuations, stringent performance requirements over temperature, high reliability and accuracy requirements in particular for telecom constellation applications. Advance manufacturing techniques (e.g. additive manufacturing) present new opportunities to develop frictionless mechanisms. Recent studies on the development of compliant mechanisms have shown feasibility of tribology-free type of mechanisms with outstanding reliability. Other benefits include no lubricants (therefore no particle release or outgassing), no friction hysteresis, no backlash, wide temperature range operability and allowing high resolution in conjunction with closed loop control. Combining such mechanism with an appropriate actuator (e.g. electroactive for example) could lead to compact, high performance and high reliability pointing mechanisms for various payload and platform applications for coarse and fine pointing. This activity will down select one use-case among applications (antenna pointing, intersatellite links, directional thrusters etc.) anddevelop a compact tribology free mechanism to breadboard level. The mechanism shall perform actuation of at least one axis (one degree of freedom). Mass and size envelope shall be competitive with current state of the art of pointing mechanisms. The pointing accuracy and repeatability of the pointing shall be confirmed by testing. Testing shall also include random vibration evaluation and actuation endurance test in a laboratory environment.Procurement Policy: C(2) = A relevant participation (in terms of quality and quantity) of non-primes (incl. SMEs) is required. For additional information please go to:http://www.esa.int/About_Us/Business_with_ESA/Small_and_Medium_Sized_En…