This page is under construction, all descriptions are very brief and incomplete! More information can be found in the publications.
Current Development and Research Projects
Low-Thrust Mission Analysis and Optimization
- for a combined SEP/REP mission to the heliopause
- Development of InTrance. InTrance stands for Intelligent Trajectory optimization using neurocontroller evolution. It is a software for the
optimization of low-thrust trajectories (SEP, NEP, solar sails). In contrast to traditional low-thrust trajectory optimization methods, InTrance does not require an initial guess and not the attendance
of an expert in optimal control and astrodynamics to find near-globally optimal trajectories. InTrance is currently further developed by Andreas Ohndorf for his PhD thesis.
Solar Sails
- Mission analysis and design
- Trajectory optimization
- Orbit and attitude dynamics and control
- Solar sail modeling
- Advanced concepts (e.g. advanced solar photon thruster)
IceMole: a Combined Drill and Melting Probe for In-Situ Measurements in Ice (IceMole)
- Development and testing of a combined drilling and melting probe prototype for in-situ
measurements in deep ice (glaciers, ice sheets).
The probe (or subsurface icecraft), called IceMole, had its first successful tests in September 2010 on the Swiss Morteratsch glacier,
where it digged upwards in the ice, penetrated dirt layers, and showed some turning capability in the the ice.
COMPASS-2
- Development of the next generation CubeSat at FH Aachen University of Applied Sciences.
Past Development and Research Projects
Low-Thrust Mission Analysis and Optimization
- for missions to small bodies (solar sail and electric, also multiple rendezvous and sample return missions)
- for asteroid deflection missions (solar sail and electric)
- for NASA's Solar Polar Imager (SPI) mission (solar sail)
- for a SEP mission to Jupiter and Europa (CONSEP study)
- for a SEP mission to Saturn (CONSEP 2 study)
- for missions into the outer solar system and to the heliopause (solar sail and electric)
Solar Sails
- Mission analysis and design for missions to small bodies, missions into the outer solar system and to the heliopause, and missions into close solar orbits
- Mission analysis and design for asteroid deflection missions
- Development of a sail film degradation model