Space deployment comes with a series of significant engineering challenges for the electronic and electrical systems that are going to be utilised. Engineers must therefore specify components for their designs that have all the necessary properties – particularly in relation to coping with the harsh environments they are going to be situated in, alongside the acute size, weight and power (SWAP) constraints involved. In this article, we will look at exactly what this will entail and give a detailed use case example to illustrate the points raised too.<h2 dir="ltr">Unique aspects of the application setting</h2>Though this must still be adequately addressed, it is not actually space itself that poses the biggest threat to component reliability. Instead, it is the process of getting it there that is likely to be the problematic part. During launch, a rocket’s payload can easily be subjected to 4-5g accelerations. On top of that, there are certain to be intense vibrational forces experienced. There is the potential for hardware to be exposed to very high levels of heat too. Should any damage occur at this stage, then the space deployed equipment might not be able to carry out its assigned functions as intended and the mission will end up being a failure.&nbsp;Once the hardware is finally in orbit, there will be other considerations. Among the most prominent is the temperature cycling that components will have to deal with – going from severe cold when traversing the dark side of the Earth, followed by periods in the Sun’s harsh thermal radiation. Another consideration is whether the chosen components will be detrimentally affected by the vacuum of space. Outgassing means that chemical substances could be emitted from these components, due to seepage from cracks or internal gaps. This might result in delicate instrumentation in close proximity to them being impaired in some way by the presence of unwanted contaminants. Once again, the mission could be jeopardised, meaning that all the expense and engineering effort that had gone into it would count for nothing. &nbsp;&nbsp;<h2 dir="ltr">Sourcing interconnects for space&nbsp;</h2>The various factors just described make it very clear that the connectors and cabling being selected for space deployment must have superior operational characteristics. Consequently, it is vital that they are able to withstand prolonged mechanical stresses (in terms of both shock and vibration), as well as extreme temperatures. The remote nature of the application of course means that once deployed there is no opportunity to replace faulty interconnects. This is why chances cannot be taken on choosing anything other than a solution with the highest degrees of reliability and resilience to the most challenging of ambient environments.Having collaborated on a multitude of different projects in this sector over several decades, Harwin offers an extensive portfolio of space-qualified connectors and cables. Each of these has a heavy duty construction, so that prolonged reliability is assured. They can be provided with built-in shielding (both backshells and braids) to protect them from cosmic radiation.<h3 dir="ltr">Use case example</h3>A recent venture, on which Harwin worked with the Group of Astrodynamics for the Use of Space Systems&nbsp;(GAUSS), underlines the need for sourcing appropriate connectors and cabling. GAUSS is an established provider of microsatellite deployment solutions, as well as designing and manufacturing its own satellite hardware. The Italian company’s UNISAT platform enables the in-orbit-release of third-party pico/nano-satellites, with numerous CubeSats and PocketQubes being carried into space on each mission and then getting deployed directly from a purpose-built spacecraft. This approach has made it much more convenient and cost-effective for academic research groups to undertake space-based experiments and monitoring work, as they can reduce the upfront expense normally associated with ‘rideshare’ activities.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1729852467851-wendy-1.jpg" style="width: 832px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Figure 1: The UNISAT-7 pico/nano-satellite deployment platform from GAUSS (images courtesy of Gauss Srl)When the GAUSS team embarked upon the development of their latest UNISAT spacecraft, there were some key objectives that they wanted to achieve. The most important of these was to be able to expand the payload capacity. This would mean that a greater quantity of CubeSats and PocketQubes could be deployed. The engineering team at GAUSS looked at ways that they could make UNISAT-7 construction more lightweight than the previous models, so more of the assigned launch mass could be taken up by the payload.&nbsp;For it to be accommodated in the rocket, the UNISAT-7 spacecraft’s overall volume had to be kept as low as possible. Its total launch mass had to be kept down to no more than 32kg. All of the constituent electronics would be contained within an aerospace-grade aluminium honeycomb framework of 50mm x 50mm x 50mm dimensions. This would have carbon fibre sheets attached to it. The spacecraft’s power would be generated by banks of photovoltaic panels mounted onto its exterior.&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1729852521555-wendy+3.jpg" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Figure 2: View of rocket used to deploy multiple satellites (image courtesy of GK Launch Services)Given that the UNISAT-7 needed to remain operational for up to 5 years, the ongoing integrity of the interconnect technology had to be beyond doubt. After sampling and testing connectors from a variety of different manufacturers, GAUSS engineers decided that going with units featured in the Harwin Datamate series would be the best tactic. Datamate and Datamate Mix-Tek connectors have shown themselves to be very effective when used in spaceborne equipment. These high-reliability (Hi-Rel) components are robust enough to cope with the difficult conditions posed by space launches. They can withstand 20G vibrations and 100G shocks, plus up to 125°C temperature levels. Their compact form factor means that they take up only minimal board space, leaving plenty of room for other devices.The 4-finger Beryllium Copper contacts incorporated into Harwin Datamate connectors allow them to always maintain a connection with their corresponding mating surfaces. The contacts in a standard Datamate mating pair carry up to 3A of current, while Datamate Mix-Tek contacts are 40A rated. The advanced locking features employed mean that industry-leading interconnect retention is attained.The low outgassing that these connectors exhibit is another important benefit. For instance, the moulded plastic used in them has a 1.01% total mass loss (TML) and a collected volatile condensable material (CVCM) figure of less than 0.01% when placed in the vacuum of space.Complementing their low profile, the availability of right-angle configuration Datamate versions addresses limited gaps between PCBs in space hardware designs. It means that connectors can be positioned at the edge of these PCBs, thereby avoiding the need for cabling to reach further into these boards. The upshot is that cables and connectors are much easier to access when the hardware is being assembled. Furthermore, cables do not need to be bent to such great angles – with less chance of them breaking in the process. &nbsp;Having been successfully trialled out by GAUSS, the selected Harwin connectors would play an integral role in the communication and data processing elements of the UNISAT-7, allowing all the related data to be transported. They would also prove essential to the spacecraft’s power systems.&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1729852579004-wendy+4.jpg" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Figure 3: Connectors visible in the PCB stack of a small satellite (image courtesy of Gauss Srl)<h2>Conclusion</h2>Space hardware must be able to rely on the quality of interconnect technology that has been specified for it. Any cutting of corners here could lead to projects that may have taken years to prepare for and large amounts of money to fund falling short of the goals that they were originally set and not meeting expectations. That is why engaging with an expert in this area is definitely advised. This will mean the connectors and cabling can be recommended that are fully optimised for such purposes.

Space deployment presents significant engineering challenges for electronic and electrical systems, requiring engineers to specify components with properties suited to harsh environments and acute size, weight, and power (SWAP) constraints.

Implementing Effective Interconnects into Space System Designs

GPS is a critical tool in modern society, and there’s more that can be done to improve the coverage, safety, and security of the technology. | iStock/aapsky

An expert in global positioning technologies looks ahead to expand GPS’s capabilities to the moon and, perhaps, beyond.

The Future of GPS: Innovations and Impacts on Navigation

For humans throughout history, the sky has evoked thoughts of a vast emptiness, of a great vacant dome punctuated during the day by the sun, and at night by numerous tiny spots of light (and, periodically, by the moon). As we have ventured into space, both physically, with spacecraft, and optically, with a range of telescopic technologies, we now know that there is quite a lot of stuff up there.<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MPXj6pBBrD0?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.wevolver.com" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"></iframe>Simulations at Caltech model a new way for autonomous spacecraft to avoid collisions. This technology holds promise for autonomous vehicles on Earth as well as in space. Credit: James RaganThis discovery has profound implications for the aerospace industry. Imagine, for example, a multibillion-dollar autonomous spacecraft that has been carefully designed and engineered for years is launched into space with precision calculations only to lose one of its thrusters and go sailing into an asteroid.Historically, engineers have dealt with the possibility of equipment failure on board spacecraft in two main ways: First, by having a "safe mode" in which the spacecraft can do the least amount of damage to itself while scientists on the ground look at the data, make a diagnosis, and develop a solution; and second, by equipping autonomous vehicles with redundant systems. These allow a spacecraft to, for example, shut off a malfunctioning thruster and start using backup thrusters.However, dangerous situations may crop up in space with little warning and insufficient time for space-to-ground communications. And though redundant systems have been quite effective, they add to the expense and heft of autonomous spacecraft.This is why experiments are being conducted in the laboratory of Soon-Jo Chung, Bren Professor of Control and Dynamical Systems and senior research scientist at JPL, which Caltech manages for NASA, to streamline emergency features on autonomous vehicles such that they can diagnose and safely respond to encounters with other objects in real time. With new algorithms on board, spacecraft can test their own equipment and predict which future actions are most likely to keep them operating safely.As one of the supervisors for this project, Fred Hadaegh, research professor in aerospace at Caltech and former JPL chief technologist, explains: "Having redundant systems is not always practical. It means the spacecraft has to be bigger, heavier, and more expensive than it would be otherwise. So, the idea here is that when a spacecraft encounters a problem, it can figure out what's not working and correct or adapt to that specific fault."Chung's lab houses, among other things, an advanced multispacecraft dynamics simulator facility. "The simulator occupies a large room with a really flat floor," explains James Ragan, a PhD student in the Graduate Aerospace Laboratories of the California Institute of Technology (GALCIT) and lead author of this paper. "The model spacecraft uses air bearings so that it moves across the floor with near zero friction. At rest, it seems to be floating, and if you push it in one direction, it will keep going until it hits something, which is what space dynamics are like."Ragan has programmed the robotic spacecraft simulator with what he and his co-authors call s-FEAST: Safe Fault Estimation via Active Sensing Tree Search. "Our s-FEAST algorithm rapidly 'dreams' about numerous possible futures that could result from actions it takes now," Ragan says. "Because the system is noisy, these futures are uncertain. There are multiple possible outcomes, which leads to a tree of possible branching futures. Each branch represents one possible way the future might happen, based on things the spacecraft controls—the test actions it selects—and also things it doesn't, such as observations coming from faulty sensors."Chung adds: "What is innovative about our s-FEAST method is that we systematically solve the chicken and egg problem of estimating vehicle states, such as positions and velocities, and inferring failures or degradations, which are intrinsically coupled to one another."When the spacecraft detects unexpected data, it turns to the s-FEAST algorithm, which runs test actions "similar to how you might carefully test your muscles when you feel an unexpected pain, and you want to figure out just what hurts and how to avoid actions that might further injure you," Ragan explains.s-FEAST simultaneously spins out a range of possible futures and from those selects the course of action that appears most likely to diagnose what went wrong and also to avoid danger. In the case of this model, danger amounts to a collision course with an asteroid.<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aJ04dlgaP0o?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.wevolver.com" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"></iframe>"The key idea here is that s-FEAST isn't replacing all spacecraft operations. It's your emergency response," Ragan says. "The spacecraft receives an internal signal that something is wrong, so s-FEAST takes over all the spacecraft's computing power to quickly assess what's going on and take remedial action. Once the danger is pinpointed and addressed, s-FEAST hands control back to the spacecraft's ordinary computing environment."s-FEAST can also be used proactively. Say an autonomous spacecraft is about to take on a particularly risky or mission-critical action; s-FEAST can run a testing cycle to ensure that all systems are working properly before this action.Chung and his co-authors envision that the proposed method will establish a new way of making expensive space exploration safer and more cost effective. "Space systems make autonomous operations necessary since we cannot grab and fix spacecraft and Mars helicopters operating in a world far away from us," Chung says. "Space is our ultimate ‘proving ground' for any autonomy research we do for Earth-based vehicle systems."Not surprisingly, the s-FEAST algorithm that worked on the spacecraft simulator was adapted by the team to work on a ground track vehicle as well. Both experiments were successful, so s-FEAST technology holds great promise for autonomous vehicles on Earth as well as in space."<a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scirobotics.adn4722" target="_blank">Online Tree-based Planning for Active Spacecraft Fault Estimation and Collision Avoidance</a>" is published in&nbsp;Science Robotics as an online feature article. A preliminary version of this paper received the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eas.caltech.edu/news/jimmy-ragan-and-benjamin-rivi%C3%A8re-receive-2023-aiaa-guidance-navigation-and-control-best-graduate-student-paper-award" target="_blank">2023 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Guidance, Navigation, and Control Best Graduate Student Paper Award</a>. Co-authors are Ragan, Caltech postdoc Benjamin Rivière (PhD '24), Hadaegh, and Chung. This work is funded by the Aerospace Corporation, JPL, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Learning Introspective Control program, and the Technology Innovation Institute.

Simulations at Caltech model a new way for autonomous spacecraft to avoid collisions. This technology holds promise for autonomous vehicles on Earth as well as in space.

A New Approach to Autonomous Vehicle Safety

On 5 September 2024 at 03:50 CEST (22:50 local time), the new Sentinel-2C satellite was successfully launched from Kourou, French Guiana, aboard the last Vega rocket in its original configuration.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1726012698757-image-2000-9ce0a3184832e9d2b679e4ad8caf68f9.jpeg" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">The Sentinel-2C satellite is lifted out of its transport container at Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana&nbsp; Sentinel-2C is equipped with an optical multispectral instrument with a high resolution of up to 10 metres, that scans a swath 290 kilometres wide. This makes the satellite ideally suited for detecting changes in vegetation, compiling crop forecasts, mapping forests and determining the growth of wild and cultivated plants. The instrument is also used to monitor algae growth in coastal and inland waters, for example, as well as track sediment input in river deltas. Credit: ESA-CNES-ARIANESPACE/Optique vidéo du CSG–S. MartinThe Sentinel-2 mission consists of two identical satellites in the same Earth orbit. They complete one full orbit every 100 minutes, capturing all land surfaces as well as inland and coastal waters every five days. Sentinel-2C now replaces Sentinel-2A, which has been in space since 2015, making the satellite a crucial component in the long-term data provision for numerous applications.&nbsp;In Germany, the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV) is the principal authority responsible for Copernicus. The German Space Agency at DLR (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt) supports the European Earth observation programme on behalf of the BMDV at the European level and promotes its utilisation in Germany through specific measures. The Sentinel-2C satellite was built by Airbus in Germany.Sentinel-2C is equipped with an optical multispectral instrument offering a high resolution of up to 10 metres and scanning a swath 290 kilometres wide. This makes the satellite ideally suited for detecting changes in vegetation, enabling crop forecasting, mapping forests and determining the growth of wild and cultivated plants. The instrument is also used to monitor algae growth in coastal and inland waters, as well as track sediment input in river deltas.<h2>Researching climate change, improving disaster protection</h2>The data collected by Copernicus is crucial for researching and monitoring climate change, as well as supporting key areas such as disaster management and security policy. The data also serves as a foundation for significant international agreements on environmental and climate protection, for example as part of the United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conferences and Sustainable Development Goals.Volker Wissing, Germany's Federal Minister for Digital and Transport emphasises the programme's range of applications: "With the launch of Sentinel-2C, Germany is demonstrating its leading role in global Earth observation. Its innovative instrument will play a crucial role in understanding climate change, combating it and dealing with its consequences. Our commitment to the Copernicus programme is an investment in cutting-edge technology and a sustainable future, as the satellite's precise data will support decision-makers worldwide in environmental policy measures."Walther Pelzer, DLR Executive Board Member and Director General of the German Space Agency at DLR, adds, "Copernicus is the largest and most successful Earth observation programme in Europe today, demonstrating the efficient cooperation between the European Union, European Space Agency (ESA) and national space agencies. With Sentinel-2C, we are securing its future and at the same time strengthening Germany's lasting position in the space sector."<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1726012832312-ezgif-7-5fa2653c65.png" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Snow and a calving glacier in Greenland&nbsp; This Sentinel-2 image shows an icy glacier tongue extending into a fjord (left). The mountainous landscape of northern Greenland is only partially covered by snow and ice, with ice floes breaking off from the glacier and floating on the water. Also clearly visible are the brownish, sediment-rich tributaries flowing into the fjord (right side of image). Due to the low position of the Sun at these high latitudes, even in summer, dark mountain shadows can be seen (left side of the image). Monitoring snow and ice masses is crucial for understanding climate change and predicting potential sea level changes. The image was captured on 21 July 2024. Credit: European Union, Copernicus Sentinel-2<h2>Copernicus – an EU and ESA partnership</h2>Copernicus is a collaborative initiative between the European Union (EU) and the European Space Agency (ESA). Through Copernicus, the EU operates satellite-based information services for land (CLMS), oceans (CMEMS), atmosphere (CAMS), disaster and crisis management (CEMS), climate change (C3S) and civil security (CSS). An increasing number of German government agencies, researchers and innovative companies are also working with Copernicus data. The foundation of these applications and services lies in six satellite constellations, known as the Sentinels – meaning 'guardians' – operated by ESA in collaboration with the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT). In addition, a further six missions are currently being prepared, which will gradually expand the Copernicus fleet over the coming years. Among these is the Copernicus Anthropogenic Carbon Dioxide Monitoring Mission (CO2M), set to measure global greenhouse gas emissions from 2026 onwards. Copernicus also integrates satellite data from third parties, including from the German satellites TerraSAR-X and TanDEM-X. Data portals such as the Copernicus Data and Exploitation Platform – DE (CODE-DE for short) ensure users have easy access to Earth observation data and processing tools.

On 5 September 2024 at 03:50 CEST (22:50 local time), the new Sentinel-2C satellite was successfully launched from Kourou, French Guiana, aboard the last Vega rocket in its original configuration. Sentinel-2C is equipped to recognise changes in vegetation, enabling crop forecasting, forest mapping and determining the growth of wild and cultivated plants, as well as monitoring algae growth in coastal and inland waters, as well as tracking sediment input in river deltas. Credit: ESA–S. Corvaja 

On 5 September 2024 at 03:50 CEST (22:50 local time), the new Copernicus Sentinel-2C satellite was launched from Kourou, French Guiana. Sentinel-2C is the third of four Sentinel-2 satellites and will replace Sentinel-2A, which is now almost ten years old.

A new era for Copernicus: the Sentinel-2C satellite launches

The Arctic Weather Satellite (AWS), an Earth observation mission, was launched on 16 August 2024 at 20:56 CEST (11:56 local time) on a Falcon 9 rocket from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. First contact with the satellite was made at 03:06 CEST on 17 August.The small satellite, with a total mass of just 150 kilograms, is starting its one-year mission. It uses a passive microwave radiometer to measure temperature and humidity profiles in the Arctic – a region where data has been insufficient for precise short-term weather forecasts.The data gathered by AWS will significantly enhance short- and medium-term weather forecasting in the northern polar regions. Given the significant influence of Arctic weather on global patterns, this data will also contribute to more accurate global weather forecasting.There is considerable interest in Germany and across Europe in using the data, as improved weather forecasts in the polar region will lead to significant improvements in forecasts on the European continent, particularly for prolonged periods of heat and cold.AWS is a precursor to the EPS Sterna satellite constellation, which is being developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) on behalf of the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT). EPS Sterna will comprise three generations of six small satellites in three Earth orbits, delivering precise weather data from the polar regions over the long term. The constellation will complement existing satellite systems such as MetOp-SG from EUMETSAT and JPSS from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).AWS will demonstrate the functionality of the satellite and its instruments, as well the benefits in terms of cost- and time-efficiency of the 'New Space' approach.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1725000886169-ezgif-5-c65039f59f.png" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">AWS was launched on 16 August 2024 at 20:56 CEST (11:56 local time) on a Falcon 9 rocket from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. First contact was made at 03:06 CEST on 17 August. Credit: SpaceX<h2>Fast, cost-effective and future-proof with German technology</h2>AWS was developed with completely new methods in order to achieve results cost effectively and on schedule, in line with the New Space approach. In particular, technical requirements and testing procedures were significantly simplified, leading to the completion of the satellite just 36 months after ESA awarded the contract to the main contractor, OHB Sweden. The project remained remarkably cost efficient throughout.Walther Pelzer, German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) Executive Board Member and Director General of the German Space Agency at DLR, highlights the project's significance for the German economy and research community: "I am very pleased that we can strengthen Germany as a space centre with AWS. German research institutions and medium-sized space companies have played a major role in the satellite's development. The planned production of a total of 20 satellites as part of the EPS Sterna programme will result in numerous contracts for German SMEs in the long term."Germany is contributing around 18 percent of AWS's costs through ESA, funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK). The EPS Sterna constellation will be operated by EUMETSAT and funded by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV)."ESA has succeeded in developing a proto-flight model of the AWS in a very short time, demonstrating its operational readiness ahead of a potential future EUMETSAT programme. This showcases the ways satellites can be successfully and efficiently developed with the help of New Space approaches. This innovation ecosystem is precisely what we aim to advance with our space strategy," says Anna Christmann, Federal Government Coordinator of German Aerospace Policy.Stefan Schnorr, State Secretary at BMDV, adds: "The new Earth observation satellite will provide us with more detailed insights than ever before into climatic developments in the Arctic – a region that is significantly impacted by climate change. AWS represents cutting-edge technology that sets new standards. The satellite will help further improve weather forecasts in Germany and Europe."The German Space Agency at DLR is coordinating the German contributions to ESA's efforts.

As the name suggests, the Arctic Weather Satellite (AWS) is designed to improve weather forecasting in the Arctic – a region currently lacking data for accurate short-term forecasts. AWS is equipped with a 19-channel, cross-track microwave radiometer that provides high-resolution humidity and temperature measurements of the atmosphere in all weather conditions. Credit: ESA/Mlabspace

The Arctic Weather Satellite (AWS) was launched on 16 August 2024 at 20:56 CEST (11:56 local time) aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. First contact with the satellite was made at 03:06 CEST on 17 August.

The next generation of weather satellites: Arctic Weather Satellite launches

Nearly 15 years ago, a relatively small spacecraft about the size of a polar bear launched into space with a big mission: to map the entire sky at infrared wavelengths with a sensitivity up to hundreds of thousands of times better than previous surveys. The NASA mission, called <a href="https://www.ipac.caltech.edu/project/wise" target="_blank">WISE</a> (Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer), far exceeded expectations, scanning the skies not once but twice and leaving behind a massive trove of data covering more than 740 million asteroids, stars, galaxies, and other cosmic objects. Ultimately, the telescope ran out of the coolant needed to chill its sensitive infrared detectors and was put into hibernation in 2011.<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_ay0iJYabcc?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.wevolver.com" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"></iframe>This video celebrates the legacy of NASA's NEOWISE mission, which has retired after more than a decade of discovering, tracking, and characterizing near-Earth objects.But that was not the end of the story for the little telescope that busted open the infrared skies. After WISE's coolant ran out and it warmed up, two of the spacecraft's four infrared-wavelength bands still worked—bands that exceled at finding faint near-Earth asteroids and comets. So, in 2013, after nearly three years of hibernation, NASA woke WISE back up. The spacecraft was given a new name—<a href="https://neowise.ipac.caltech.edu/" target="_blank">NEOWISE</a> (Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer)—and a new goal: to aid planetary defense by surveying and studying asteroids and comets that stray close to our neck of the solar system."I remember a bunch of us huddling around a terminal in 2009 as the first WISE images came in," says Roc Cutri, lead scientist and task lead for NEOWISE at Caltech's IPAC astronomy center. "And then I remember doing the same thing when NEOWISE turned back on in 2013. We were thrilled all over again."<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1723854091746-NextLight-WEB.max-500x500.jpg" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Team members crowd around a computer to watch the first NEOWISE images come in, after the spacecraft was reactivated in 2013. Amy Mainzer can be seen looking at the screen, with Roc Cutri to the right and Beth Fabinksy below. Davy Kirkpatrick is in the foreground and Tim Conrow is behind the computer screen. Credit: Elaine CutriNow, those enduring infrared eyes, which faithfully scanned the entire sky a whopping 23 times and observed more than 190,000 solar system objects, have closed for good. Solar activity is causing NEOWISE to fall out of orbit. Explosive flares and other eruptions on our Sun cause Earth's upper atmosphere to heat up and expand, which has slowed the satellite down."The Sun is waking up again after being quiet for a long time," says Cutri, referring to our Sun's current solar maximum. "We appreciate the cooperation of the Sun because it's given NEOWISE more time to operate, but the spacecraft is destined to reenter our atmosphere and burn up." Mission specialists say this is likely to occur near the end of this year.Teams at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which manages the mission, and Caltech's IPAC, the center responsible for data processing and archiving, are now preparing for the mission's end. On July 31 of this year, the spacecraft stopped collecting images of the sky. After collecting the final images and returning the spacecraft to hibernation, NEOWISE engineers at JPL issued a final command to turn off the transmitter on August 8."This is a bittersweet moment. It's sad to see this trailblazing mission come to an end, but we know there's more treasure hiding in the survey data," said Joe Masiero, NEOWISE's deputy principal investigator and a scientist at IPAC, in a <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-neowise-celebrates-10-years-plans-end-of-mission" target="_blank">JPL news story</a>. "NEOWISE has a vast archive, covering a very long period of time, that will inevitably advance the science of the infrared universe long after the spacecraft is gone."During its decade-plus run, NEOWISE captured nearly 27 million infrared images. It discovered 215 near-Earth objects and observed thousands more (NEOs are defined as asteroids and comets that pass within 28 million miles of Earth's path around the Sun). In addition to near-Earth asteroids, it found tens of thousands of asteroids in the main belt between Mars and Jupiter.The mission spotted <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-wise-finds-earths-first-trojan-asteroid" target="_blank">Earth's first known Trojan asteroid</a>, which is an asteroid that rides along in the same orbit as our planet, and it discovered the celebrated <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/resource/comet-c2020-f3-neowise-over-utah/" target="_blank">comet C/2020 F3 NEOWISE</a>, which adorned the night skies for onlookers in the Northern Hemisphere in the summer of 2020.What's more, the mission's legacy will live on in a new mission currently in development. NASA's <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/near-earth-object-surveyor" target="_blank">NEO Surveyor</a> (Near-Earth Object Surveyor), scheduled to launch in late 2027, will be the first purpose-built infrared space telescope dedicated to hunting hazardous near-Earth objects."When I first started working on the original WISE mission in 2003, it was clear that it would teach us a lot about asteroids and comets, but it wouldn't be able to see huge numbers of Earth-approaching near-Earth objects," says Amy Mainzer, a professor at UCLA and the principal investigator of both NEOWISE and NEO Surveyor. "We've leveraged what we've learned from WISE and its extension, NEOWISE, to develop a new mission, NEO Surveyor, that is optimized for finding the most dangerous asteroids and comets. While we're getting ready to say goodbye to NEOWISE, we're looking forward to getting its powerful successor up into space in a few years."<h2 data-block-key="18mj">Early Days</h2>Originally proposed as the Next Generation Sky Survey, WISE was selected for flight in 2004 and given its current name. It was designed to succeed past infrared sky surveys with a dramatically improved level of sensitivity, and to ultimately unveil hundreds of millions of hidden cosmic objects that had never been seen before.Infrared light, which has longer wavelengths than visible light, is invisible to our eyes. Our bodies are aglow with infrared light that we can't see. Many objects in the cosmos—asteroids, comets, cool stars, dusty planetary disks of debris, remote galaxies, and powerful quasars—shine brightly in infrared light but remain faint and hard to see in visible light. These objects tend to be older, cooler, obscured in dust, or hiding in the remote universe. Infrared surveys of the sky allow us to cast a wide net and catch these cosmic wonders.Caltech's first infrared sky survey, called the Two-Micron Sky Survey, scanned the skies from a telescope atop Mount Wilson in the late 1960s. The Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) followed next, surveying the skies in infrared light from space in 1983. Later, from 1997 to 2001, the Two Micron All-Sky Survey (2MASS) mapped the whole sky from the ground. Caltech and IPAC, including the so-called <a href="https://www.caltech.edu/about/news/celebrating-50-years-infrared-astronomy-48629" target="_blank">Infrared Army</a>, a group of scientists who pioneered infrared astronomy, played a key role in these groundbreaking projects."Caltech has a great history in infrared astronomy, so it was natural for us to be involved in WISE," says Cutri, who remembers working on WISE mission proposals in the late 1990s with the mission's principal investigator, Ned Wright, an astronomy professor at UCLA.<h2 data-block-key="dpcgs">Rare Gems</h2>The two defining goals of the WISE mission were to find the closest stars to the Sun as well as the most luminous galaxies in the universe, both of which it achieved. In 2013 and 2014, astronomer Kevin Luhman of Penn State University used data collected by WISE to discover the <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/closest-star-system-found-in-a-century" target="_blank">third</a>- and the <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-spitzer-wise-find-suns-close-cold-neighbor" target="_blank">fourth</a>-closest star systems to Earth, lying 6.5 and 7.2 light-years away, respectively. Both systems contain cool stars known as brown dwarfs, and the fourth closest star, called WISE 0855-0714, also happens to be <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-spitzer-wise-find-suns-close-cold-neighbor" target="_blank">the coldest known brown dwarf</a> with temperatures nearly as cold as ice.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1723854129495-First-Brown-Dwarf-WEB.max-500x500.jpg" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Peter Eisenhardt, Davy Kirkpatrick, and Ned Wright happily inspect the first spectroscopically confirmed brown dwarf discovered by WISE. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Beth FabinskyIn total, the mission found more than half of the known 582 brown dwarfs in our solar neighborhood, or specifically within 65 light-years of the Sun. (Nearly 20 percent of those 582 brown dwarfs were found by citizen scientists using WISE/NEOWISE data in a program called <a href="https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/marckuchner/backyard-worlds-planet-9" target="_blank">Backyard Worlds</a>.) Before WISE, little was known about these celestial orbs, which form like stars but lack the mass to sustain the fusion that powers stars. The first brown dwarf was discovered in 1994 by a team led by Caltech's Shri Kulkarni using the 60-inch telescope at Palomar Observatory."We knew WISE was looking at the right infrared wavelength to bust the field open," says Davy Kirkpatrick, the IPAC lead for the WISE/NEOWISE quality assurance team and a WISE science team member.Kirkpatrick remembers well the day he first laid eyes on <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-wise-mission-discovers-coolest-class-of-stars" target="_blank">the coolest class of brown dwarfs</a>, called Y dwarfs. Previously, these extra-feeble stars had only been theorized."Mike Cushing [an astronomer at the University of Toledo] and I rented a condo in Hawai'i near the Keck telescope to follow up on brown dwarfs identified by WISE," Kirkpatrick recalls. "I was reducing a good-looking spectrum, and then my mouth just hung open. The chemical signatures of the first Y dwarf were right there. I yelled, 'Mike come here, we got one!' and he came running over."Since then, the mission has discovered a total of 50 Y dwarfs, some of which were found during the NEOWISE phase of the mission (NEOWISE primarily focuses on asteroids and comets, but its data have also been used in a range of astronomy studies).<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1723854154435-06-WISE-YDwarf-PIA14720-WEB.max-1000x1000.jpg" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Artist's concept of a Y dwarf. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. HurtFarther from home, <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-wise-survey-uncovers-millions-of-black-holes" target="_blank">WISE uncovered tens of millions of actively feeding supermassive black holes</a>, also known as quasars (Caltech's <a href="https://www.caltech.edu/about/news/caltech-mourns-the-passing-of-maarten-schmidt-1929-2022" target="_blank">Maarten Schmidt</a> discovered the first quasar in 1963). These monstrous cosmic entities are often buried in dust, rendering them invisible to optical telescopes. But the growing black holes warm their cloaks of dust, causing them to glow at the infrared wavelengths seen by WISE."WISE has shown that many, and perhaps most, quasars are buried in smoky cocoons," says Peter Eisenhardt, project scientist for WISE at JPL. "Our largest catalogs of quasars now come from WISE." Among these objects are rare and particularly warm and bright ones nicknamed hot DOGs, for hot Dust-Obscured Galaxies. One of these is likely the <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasas-wise-spacecraft-discovers-most-luminous-galaxy-in-universe/#:~:text=The%20new%20study%20reports%20a,incredible%20outpouring%20of%20infrared%20light." target="_blank">most luminous galaxy ever seen</a>, shining with the light of 350 trillion suns."IRAS showed us that the most powerful nearby galaxies shine brightest in the infrared because they contain a lot of dust," Eisenhardt says. "As soon as we began mapping the sky with WISE, we tried all kinds of ways to find the most luminous galaxies in the universe with its four infrared bands, but we weren't finding much. Then, in April of 2010, we came across an extremely powerful galaxy that showed up only in WISE's two longest wavelengths: the first hot DOG. We adopted that technique and six months later found the most luminous galaxy of them all."<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1723854176958-Most_Luminous_galaxy.max-1000x1000.jpg" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">This artist's impression shows galaxy WISE J224607.55-052634.9, likely the most luminous galaxy ever discovered. Credit: (NRAO/AUI/NSF) S. DagnelloIn addition to Y dwarfs, quasars, and hot DOGs, the WISE and NEOWISE catalogs are being used by astronomers around the world to study everything from comets and asteroids to distant clusters of galaxies. "WISE and NEOWISE data are now part of the astronomy landscape and are being used in over a thousand papers per year," Eisenhardt says.<h2 data-block-key="9aof1">Surprise Asteroid Hunter</h2>When mission specialists turned the spacecraft back on in 2013, they did not expect it would still be going strong more than 10 years later. A mission designed to survey the whole breadth of the cosmos both near and far will be remembered for a decade of asteroid discoveries.Thanks to NEOWISE's infrared vision, it will also be remembered for revealing a population of near-Earth objects that are extremely dark, like pieces of charcoal, and large, measuring hundreds of meters across, and in some cases larger. The mission's observations showed that such objects constitute a sizeable part of the overall NEO population."The dark objects make up a substantial fraction of the population, roughly a third, posing a challenge for ground-based telescopes searching for them in visible light" Mainzer says. "But they pop out in heat-sensitive infrared wavelengths."To find more of these hidden dark rocks orbiting in our solar system as well as many other asteroids left to uncover, the NEOWISE team developed the upcoming&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/near-earth-object-surveyor" target="_blank">NEO Surveyor</a>."One of the goals for NEO Surveyor is to find the medium-size asteroids, which could still be hazardous to our planet," Cutri says. According to NASA, only 44 percent of these medium-size asteroids (140 meters and larger) have been found. "The motto has been to find them before they find us."Like NEOWISE, NEO Surveyor's background data will also be used to study stars, galaxies, and other cosmic objects throughout the universe."When we started in the late '90s on this mission, if you told me that this spacecraft would still be taking data when I turned 60, and that we'd be working on a successor to the mission, I would have said, 'You are nuts,'" says Kirkpatrick, who plans to use the mission's data to look for even closer and cooler brown dwarfs than those discovered by WISE. "If anything, WISE and NEOWISE have taught us that just when you think you have reached the limit of what you can find, it is just the limit of the survey. More is out there to be found."<h2 data-block-key="37ubl">More about the Mission:</h2>NEOWISE and NEO Surveyor support the objectives of NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO) at NASA Headquarters in Washington. The NASA Authorization Act of 2005 directed NASA to discover and characterize at least 90% of the near-Earth objects more than 140 meters (460 feet) across that come within 30 million miles (48 million kilometers) of our planet's orbit. Objects of this size can cause significant regional damage, or worse, should they impact the Earth.JPL manages and operates the NEOWISE mission for PDCO within the Science Mission Directorate. The WISE principal investigator was Edward Wright, a professor at UCLA. The NEOWISE principal investigator is Amy Mainzer, also a professor at UCLA. The Space Dynamics Laboratory in Logan, Utah, built the science instrument. Ball Aerospace &amp; Technologies Corp. of Boulder, Colorado (now BAE Systems), built the spacecraft. Science data processing, archiving, and distribution is done at IPAC at Caltech. Caltech manages JPL for NASA.

NEOWISE's enduring infrared eyes, which faithfully scanned the entire sky a whopping 23 times and observed more than 190,000 solar system objects, have closed for good

NASA's Infrared Survey Telescope Ready to Retire

In the world of high reliability connectors, those destined for spaceflight face the toughest conditions. Missions can last years and travel huge distances with no chance for repairs. Connectors need to provide secure communications, even in the harsh environments found outside the atmosphere.The exploration of space is very much in the news. &nbsp;One of the largest programs in recent space history is the Artemis program. This program will see humanity return to the Moon, and its launch vehicle is the Space Launch System. &nbsp;Completing its first successful mission in December 2022, the SLS forms the largest component of the program. However, the latest steps in our return to the Moon are not the only exciting initiatives in space.The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) was launched late in 2021. It is still sending us detailed images of galaxies born in the earliest days of the universe. &nbsp; The information that JWST has gathered is providing new insights into how stars and galaxies are formed. Its advanced capabilities will pave the way for some truly remarkable discoveries in the future. &nbsp;In addition to scientific missions, the last few years have also seen the beginning of an entirely new industry. Some of the richest people on Earth have offered tempting visions of commercial space tourism.&nbsp;These high-profile events, while they capture the imagination of the public, represent just a small part of the picture. &nbsp;The exploration and exploitation of space is an everyday activity. There were more than 220 space launches in 2023 alone [1], carrying science missions and satellites into orbit and beyond. &nbsp;<h2>The Toughest Environment</h2>Even though spaceflight has become more common, the conditions in which these systems must perform are unlike any other. Space represents possibly the single most demanding environment known to engineering. &nbsp;Any equipment used in spaceflight is exposed to a whole range of extremes, from high and low temperatures and harsh radiation to the rigours of launch [2] and the vacuum of space. &nbsp;The lack of atmosphere is especially unforgiving. On Earth, our atmosphere serves as a protective blanket that provides pressure, thermal insulation, and safety from harmful radiation. In space, this protection is stripped away, exposing equipment to potential damage.Without the atmosphere to protect it, an object in space receives the full force of the sun’s radiation. &nbsp;When equipment is bombarded by direct sunlight, its temperature can quickly become dangerously high. In contrast, the parts of a spacecraft that remain in shadow are very cold. &nbsp;These extremes of temperature need to be considered when selecting the materials to be used aboard space vehicles. &nbsp;There are other sources of radiation, including galactic cosmic rays which are highly ionizing. &nbsp;These can harm delicate instruments or sophisticated electronic circuits.<img width="602" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzIxMzg2NzIwNjA2LTE3MjEzODY3MjA2MDYuanBlZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" alt="A large white object with a metal frameDescription automatically generated with medium confidence" class="fr-fic fr-dii">Connectors have been providing reliable service in space for decades &nbsp;Image credit: Author<h2>The Dangers of Outgassing</h2>The lack of atmospheric pressure also causes materials to behave in unique ways. &nbsp;Outgassing [3] is a process in which a gas that has become trapped inside another material is released. &nbsp;This is a common problem when plastic is exposed to a vacuum during spaceflight, but it is not limited to plastics alone. &nbsp;Some metals are also prone to sublimation in vacuum conditions, including zinc and cadmium, both of which are commonly used in conventional equipment design. &nbsp;&nbsp;In both cases, the gas that is released can cause damage. &nbsp; It may condense onto cold surfaces such as the optics and sensors of scientific equipment. &nbsp;This can degrade or even negate their effectiveness and put the entire mission at risk. Components also need to be mechanically robust as the launching satellites, probes and spacecraft into orbit exposes them to acceleration and vibration that can cause damage that might be undiscovered for months or years. Plastic components need to be manufactured of materials that exhibit high stability, even in vacuum conditions. &nbsp;To provide solutions for these demanding conditions, connectors designed for spaceflight connectors are amongst the most advanced in the industry. &nbsp;Manufactured to stringent standards and tested to prove their performance even in the vacuum of space, they are the very definition of high reliability connectors.<h2>Maximizing Endurance</h2>If the spaceflight environment is not tough enough, there is one additional aspect that contributes to the challenges of designing for spaceflight, and that is endurance. &nbsp;Missions to space, whether they are intended for commercial purposes or scientific, can last for years. &nbsp;If a piece of equipment fails, it is impossible to gain access to fix the problem. &nbsp; In these circumstances, designers and engineers depend on the reliability of each of the components that make up the equipment, no matter how small.Endurance also plays a key role in power planning. A long-range probe operates on a very strict power budget, and a component that introduces unwanted electrical resistance will risk jeopardizing the mission. &nbsp;The electrical contacts used in space-rated connectors will be made from the finest materials and manufactured to the closest tolerances. &nbsp; Contacts will be plated with gold to a thickness rarely seen in even the most demanding applications back on Earth. &nbsp; Gold plating ensures that the contact resistance is kept as low as possible to reduce power loss.Contacts with a low electrical resistance are important for other reasons. &nbsp;Despite the sophistication of the instruments mounted to space probes, the measurements being taken can be tiny. &nbsp;When scientists are looking for minute fluctuations within magnetic fields or are trying to isolate a radiation signature from the noise of interplanetary space, unwanted electrical resistance can prevent a critical signal from being collected.&nbsp;This is also the reason that manufacturers go to the trouble of reducing the magnetic signature of the components themselves to prevent interference with precision scientific experiments. Connectors designed for spaceflight applications use materials that provide the best possible performance. &nbsp;In just one example, the key feature of the D-subminiature connector is the trapezoidal shell that provides protection to the contacts and ensures correct mating. &nbsp;Traditional D-subs use shells made of steel, but versions destined for spaceflight use brass to minimize their magnetic signature. &nbsp;The shell also provides protection against electromagnetic interference (EMI) [4]. &nbsp;In the vacuum of space, unprotected by a blanket of atmosphere, equipment is exposed to solar radiation which can interfere with scientific observations or even damage sensitive instruments. &nbsp;The shells of many spaceflight connectors are gold plated in the same way as the electrical contacts to provide the best possible protection against EMI.<img width="601" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzIxMzg2NzIwNjE3LTE3MjEzODY3MjA2MTcucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" alt="Several different types of computer connectorsDescription automatically generated" class="fr-fic fr-dii">Spaceflight Connectors &nbsp;Image credit: Glenair <h2>Conclusion</h2>Connectors play an often-overlooked role in spaceflight applications. Space vehicles are typically manufactured from sub-assemblies which are brought together before launch. Connectors provide the vital interface between each system, during both the extensive testing regime before launch and the demanding conditions found in space. Spaceflight connectors are designed to some of the highest standards in the interconnection industry and, as a result, represent some of the most capable products available today.<h3>References</h3><ol start="1" type="1"><li><a href="https://www.spaceworks.aero/recap-of-all-global-launches-for-2023/" target="_blank">https://www.spaceworks.aero/recap-of-all-global-launches-for-2023/</a>&nbsp;</li><li><a href="https://blogs.nasa.gov/Rocketology/2016/02/25/think-youre-stressed-try-being-a-rocket/" target="_blank">https://blogs.nasa.gov/Rocketology/2016/02/25/think-youre-stressed-try-being-a-rocket/</a>&nbsp;</li><li><a href="https://blog.samtec.com/post/what-is-outgassing-and-how-is-it-tested/" target="_blank">https://blog.samtec.com/post/what-is-outgassing-and-how-is-it-tested/</a>&nbsp;</li><li><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchmobilecomputing/definition/electromagnetic-interference" target="_blank">https://www.techtarget.com/searchmobilecomputing/definition/electromagnetic-interference</a>&nbsp;</li></ol>

Delivering the performance demanded by today’s space missions requires the ultimate in high-reliability connectors.

High Reliability Connectors in Space

In this episode, we discuss how MIT researchers are leveraging a state of the art 3D printer to create much more efficient field electron emitters which could unlock huge potential for ion propulsion in space travel!

Podcast: 3D Printed Mini Thrusters For Space Travel

This article was discussed in our <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/profile/the.next.byte" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Next Byte podcast</a>.&nbsp;<iframe height="200px" width="100%" frameborder="no" scrolling="no" seamless="" src="https://player.simplecast.com/6a4f3fbe-6635-431f-ac15-738583132aab?dark=false" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"></iframe> The full article will continue below.<hr>The printing of conductive inks is changing the additive electronics market, and is also opening up exciting new areas of scientific research that could have major implications in a number of industries. Alex Kachkine and Luis Fernando Velásquez-García of MIT recently published an <a href="https://www.mtl.mit.edu/news/velasquez-groups-work-additively-manufactured-vacuum-electron-sources-win-best-paper-award" target="_blank">award-winning paper</a> that showed how <a href="https://www.voltera.io/nova?utm_campaign=Wevolver&utm_source=Blog&utm_content=NOVA" target="_blank">Voltera NOVA</a>, a materials dispensing system that utilizes direct-ink writing technology to additively print conductive materials, could be used to fabricate field emission electron sources that can help with the propulsion of small satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO).This article looks at how Kachkine and Velásquez-García devised a novel method involving two separate rounds of sonification to create an ink densely packed with carbon nanotubes, allowing them to obtain remarkably high performance from their printed field emission devices. In the article, we look at how additive manufacturing offers major advantages over traditional semiconductor fabrication methods, as well as the potential impact of the researchers’ work in aerospace, spectrometry, and other fields.<h1 dir="ltr">What is Field Electron Emission?</h1>Field electron emission is when an electrostatic field induces the emission of electrons, typically from a solid surface into a vacuum. The process is an important area of study in quantum mechanics and can be explained by the phenomenon of quantum tunneling, in which an electron passes through a barrier despite lacking the required energy (according to classical mechanics) to actually do so.Field emission electron sources have several practical applications, from field electron microscopy to electric spacecraft propulsion. However, fabricating them can be challenging: use of semiconductor cleanrooms is expensive, slow, and comes with significant environmental costs.<h1 dir="ltr">Printed Carbon Nanotube Electron Sources</h1>The additive manufacturing of field emission electron sources shows promise for overcoming major limitations in traditional fabrication processes. Direct-ink writing (DIW), a form of additive printing suitable for electronic devices, is a low-cost, low-waste process compatible with a broad range of inks and substrates. It is also highly portable, and could potentially be deployed on spacecraft for in-situ printing.Nonetheless, DIW has its own limitations. Today, most DIW field emission sources cannot match the peak emission currents of their cleanroom-made counterparts, while they also require greater startup voltages. This limits their practical use, as performance ultimately dictates the fabrication method to a greater extent than cost, speed, or environmental concerns.In their recent study, the MIT researchers attempted to create an ink containing the highest possible concentration of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in order to break through the current limitations in peak emission currents for 3D printed emitters. Their strategy was to use an unusual two-pronged sonication technique, which helped to prevent unwanted evaporation of solvents during ink preparation. The first round of sonication, during which water was used as a coolant to prevent evaporation, took place after the mixing of CNTs and N,N-Dimethylformamide. The second round took place after the filtering of undispersed CNT clumps and the introduction of ethyl cellulose.Using this innovative technique, the researchers prepared the inks and stored them in thermally stable cartridges. They then loaded their chosen ink cartridge and a standard FR4 substrate onto the NOVA printer to begin the printing process. The machine was able to print a spiralized CNT trace to act as the emitting electrode, offset from a conventional PCB copper trace functioning as the extractor electrode. The printer could accurately print in the gaps between the pre-existing copper trace via optical alignment and surface probing, completing each print in just 30 seconds.<h2 dir="ltr">The Results of the Study</h2>During their research, the team made a number of ink formulations with a CNT concentration ranging from 0.1 wt% to 4.0 wt% and an ethyl cellulose concentration ranging from 0 wt% to 50 wt%, storing each different formulation in its own printable cartridge. The idea behind making a number of different inks with different ratios of their components was to test how concentrated they could make the ink (how many CNTs could be packed into it) before it became impossible to print.While inks with a 4.0 wt% of CNTs resulted in nozzle clogging due to solvent evaporation, making printing impossible, slightly lower concentrations produced highly promising results. Analysis revealed that the devices had a field emission startup voltage of ~40 V and an aggregate peak current of up to ~100 μA/cm2 (beyond which the devices would heat up and stop working) — a higher level of performance than state-of-the-art emitters currently available, and better than previous attempts to make printed emitters of this sort.The researchers noted that the affordability of the NOVA system used in the study could open up the number of potential users and applications for the technique while also commenting on how the printer’s integrated surface mapping and optical alignment enabled precision printing of the spiralized CNT trace.<h1 dir="ltr">Potential Applications of 3D Printed CNT Electron Sources</h1><h2 dir="ltr">Space Propulsion</h2>Different spacecraft have different methods of propulsion, and one form of electric propulsion — more propellant-efficient than chemical rockets — is the ion thruster. An ion thruster makes a cloud of positive ions from a neutral gas via ionization, with electricity used to accelerate the ions and create thrust.Electric propulsion requires the use of a neutralizer to neutralize the gas and allow it to disperse into space. Without a neutralizer, the spacecraft itself could become charged, potentially damaging fragile onboard equipment. Fortunately, field emission electron sources are ideal neutralizers, particularly in low Earth orbit where there is poor vacuum due to residual oxygen.<h2 dir="ltr">Mass Spectrometry &amp; Beyond</h2>Another application of densely packed 3D printed CNT field emitters is in mass spectrometry of gasses, in which the mass-to-charge ratio of ions is measured. Electron impact ionization can provide better signal clarity than corona discharge approaches, which are destructive. The development of 3D printed CNT emitters holds plenty of promise for this field, as it requires lower pressure from the ionizer, which can make the spectrometer more portable.Other fields that could benefit from printed electron sources made using high-concentration CNT inks include X-ray imaging and electron beam lithography (EBL), a technique for drawing custom shapes on electron-sensitive films, known as resists. In both of these fields, a significant reduction in power consumption and the ability to work in poor vacuum makes printed field emission electron sources preferable to their mainstream thermionic emission counterparts.<h1 dir="ltr">Conclusion</h1>This latest study is not the first undertaking by members of MIT’s Velásquez Group — specialists in miniaturized devices — to harness the power of a Voltera printer to make a field emission electron source. In 2019, Velásquez-García and lead author Imperio Anel Perales-Martinez fabricated the first ever 3D printed CNT field emission electron sources using a <a href="https://www.voltera.io/v-one?utm_campaign=Wevolver&utm_source=Blog&utm_content=V-One" target="_blank">Voltera V-One</a>. That work laid the foundations for this latest study, with its development of an electron source characterized by a much higher peak current and lower startup voltage.This latest round of exciting findings from the Velásquez Group shows the enormous potential of direct ink writing for the additive manufacturing of critical components in a range of disciplines, from aerospace to healthcare. Overcoming challenges such as unwanted solvent evaporation and nozzle clogging at very high CNT concentrations could further enhance the performance of printed emitters.

Researchers at MIT used a Voltera NOVA to successfully print field electron emitters with a high-concentration carbon nanotube ink. The research has exciting implications for small satellites.

How Precision 3D Printing Enables Miniaturized Electric Space Propulsion

To save on fuel and reduce aircraft emissions, engineers are looking to build lighter, stronger airplanes out of advanced composites. These engineered materials are made from high-performance fibers that are embedded in polymer sheets. The sheets can be stacked and pressed into one multilayered material and made into extremely lightweight and durable structures.But composite materials have one main vulnerability: the space between layers, which is typically filled with polymer “glue” to bond the layers together. In the event of an impact or strike, cracks can easily spread between layers and weaken the material, even though there may be no visible damage to the layers themselves. Over time, as these hidden cracks spread between layers, the composite could suddenly crumble without warning.Now, MIT engineers have shown they can prevent cracks from spreading between composite’s layers, using an approach they developed called “nanostitching,” in which they deposit chemically grown microscopic forests of carbon nanotubes between composite layers. The tiny, densely packed fibers grip and hold the layers together, like ultrastrong Velcro, preventing the layers from peeling or shearing apart.In experiments with an advanced composite known as thin-ply carbon fiber laminate, the team demonstrated that layers bonded with nanostitching improved the material’s resistance to cracks by up to 60 percent, compared with composites with conventional polymers. The researchers say the results help to address the main vulnerability in advanced composites.“Just like phyllo dough flakes apart, composite layers can peel apart because this interlaminar region is the Achilles’ heel of composites,” says Brian Wardle, professor of aeronautics and astronautics at MIT. “We’re showing that nanostitching makes this normally weak region so strong and tough that a crack will not grow there. So, we could expect the next generation of aircraft to have composites held together with this nano-Velcro, to make aircraft safer and have greater longevity.”Wardle and his colleagues have <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsami.3c17333" target="_blank">published their results</a> today in the journal ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces. The study’s first author is former MIT visiting graduate student and postdoc Carolina Furtado, along with Reed Kopp, Xinchen Ni, Carlos Sarrado, Estelle Kalfon-Cohen, and Pedro Camanho.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1713566912216-MIT-Nanostitch-02-press.jpg" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Nanostitching involves “growing” a forest of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (CNT) on a wafer of silicon, through a process of chemical vapor deposition. The CNT-deposited wafer (to the left in grid “a”) is then inverted and pressed onto a larger composite ply (b), and lifted away, leaving the CNTs on the composite’s surface (c). A second ply is placed over the first, with the CNTs between, “stitching” the plies together. Image: Courtesy of the researchers<h2>Forest growth</h2>At MIT, Wardle is director of the necstlab (pronounced “next lab”), where he and his group <a href="https://news.mit.edu/2016/carbon-nanotube-stitches-strengthen-composites-0803" target="_blank">first developed</a> the concept for nanostitching. The approach involves “growing” a forest of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes — hollow fibers of carbon, each so small that tens of billions of the the nanotubes can stand in an area smaller than a fingernail. To grow the nanotubes, the team used a process of chemical vapor deposition to react various catalysts in an oven, causing carbon to settle onto a surface as tiny, hair-like supports. The supports are eventually removed, leaving behind a densely packed forest of microscopic, vertical rolls of carbon.The lab has previously shown that the nanotube forests can be grown and adhered to layers of composite material, and that this fiber-reinforced compound improves the material’s overall strength. The researchers had also seen some signs that the fibers can improve a composite’s resistance to cracks between layers.In their new study, the engineers took a more in-depth look at the between-layer region in composites to test and quantify how nanostitching would improve the region’s resistance to cracks. In particular, the study focused on an advanced composite material known as thin-ply carbon fiber laminates.“This is an emerging composite technology, where each layer, or ply, is about 50 microns thin, compared to standard composite plies that are 150 microns, which is about the diameter of a human hair. There’s evidence to suggest they are better than standard-thickness composites. And we wanted to see whether there might be synergy between our nanostitching and this thin-ply technology, since it could lead to more resilient aircraft, high-value aerospace structures, and space and military vehicles,” Wardle says.<h2>Velcro grip</h2>The study’s experiments were led by Carolina Furtado, who joined the effort as part of the MIT-Portugal program in 2016, continued the project as a postdoc, and is now a professor at the University of Porto in Portugal, where her research focuses on modeling cracks and damage in advanced composites.In her tests, Furtado used the group’s techniques of chemical vapor deposition to grow densely packed forests of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes. She also fabricated samples of thin-ply carbon fiber laminates. The resulting advanced composite was about 3 millimeters thick and comprised 60 layers, each made from stiff, horizontal fibers embedded in a polymer sheet.She transferred and adhered the nanotube forest in between the two middle layers of the composite, then cooked the material in an autoclave to cure. To test crack resistance, the researchers placed a crack on the edge of the composite, right at the start of the region between the two middle layers.“In fracture testing, we always start with a crack because we want to test whether and how far the crack will spread,” Furtado explains.The researchers then placed samples of the nanotube-reinforced composite in an experimental setup to test their resilience to “delamination,” or the potential for layers to separate.“There’s lots of ways you can get precursors to delamination, such as from impacts, like tool drop, bird strike, runway kickup in aircraft, and there could be almost no visible damage, but internally it has a delamination,” Wardle says. “Just like a human, if you’ve got a hairline fracture in a bone, it’s not good. Just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it’s not impacting you. And damage in composites is hard to inspect.”To examine nanostitching’s potential to prevent delamination, the team placed their samples in a setup to test three delamination modes, in which a crack could spread through the between-layer region and peel the layers apart or cause them to slide against each other, or do a combination of both. All three of these modes are the most common ways in which conventional composites can internally flake and crumble.The tests, in which the researchers precisely measured the force required to peel or shear the composite’s layers, revealed that the nanostitched held fast, and the initial crack that the researchers made was unable to spread further between the layers. The nanostitched samples were up to 62 percent tougher and more resistant to cracks, compared with the same advanced composite material that was held together with conventional polymers.“This is a new composite technology, turbocharged by our nanotubes,” Wardle says.“The authors have demonsrated that thin plies and nanostitching together have made significant increase in toughness,” says Stephen Tsai, emeritus professor of aeronautics and astronautics at Stanford University. “Composites are degraded by their weak interlaminar strength. Any improvement shown in this work will increase the design allowable, and reduce the weight and cost of composites technology.”The researchers envision that any vehicle or structure that incorporates conventional composites could be made lighter, tougher, and more resilient with nanostitching.“You could have selective reinforcement of problematic areas, to reinforce holes or bolted joints, or places where delamination might happen,” Furtado says. “This opens a big window of opportunity.”

This schematic shows an engineered material with composite layers. Layers of carbon fibers (the long silver tubes) have microscopic forests of carbon nanotubes between them (the array of tiny brown objects). These tiny, densely packed fibers grip and hold the layers together, like ultrastrong Velcro, preventing the layers from peeling or shearing apart. Image: Courtesy of the researchers, edited by MIT News

In research that may lead to next-generation airplanes and spacecraft, MIT engineers used carbon nanotubes to prevent cracking in multilayered composites.

"Nanostitches" enable lighter and tougher composite materials

One day the SpaceHopper will be deployed on space missions to explore relatively small celestial bodies such as asteroids and moons. These are thought to contain valuable mineral resources that could be of use to humankind in the future. The exploration of these bodies could also give us insights into our universe’s formation.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1712911128036-imageCarousel.imageformat.lightbox.1854501007.jpg" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">The project was launched two and a half years ago as an ETH focus project for Bachelor’s degree students. It is now being continued as a regular research project by five Master’s degree students and one doctoral student. One particular challenge of developing exploration robots such as these is the very low gravity prevailing on small celestial bodies –in contrast to larger bodies such as Earth. For this reason, the researchers have tested their robot in zero gravity scenarios on a European Space Agency parabolic flight.<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8I4fe9VaQQg?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.wevolver.com" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-gtm-yt-inspected-9="true" id="588287812" title="Using a hopping robot for asteroid exploration"></iframe>

The prototype of the SpaceHopper developed by ETH students. (Photograph: Dominik Lindegger)

As part of the SpaceHopper project, ETH Zurich students are developing a robot that can navigate very low gravity environments using a jumping-​like mode of locomotion.

Using a hopping robot for asteroid exploration

AI and robotics are enabling safer and more efficient space exploration. 

Embracing the Cosmos: Akida's Role in Advancing Space Tech for Daily Life

In this episode, we embark on a journey to the red planet and unveil the remarkable success of the NASA JPL MOXIE (Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment) mission on Mars.

Podcast: Breathing on Mars: MOXIE's Astounding Success

This article was discussed in our <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.wevolver.com/profile/the.next.byte&source=gmail&ust=1672821999265000&usg=AOvVaw3lLKdHdEN0YvCEsaHI7hx9" href="https://www.wevolver.com/profile/the.next.byte" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Next Byte podcast</a>.&nbsp;<iframe height="200px" width="100%" frameborder="no" scrolling="no" seamless="" src="https://player.simplecast.com/95b5b321-ff01-4131-9a82-dc2417f0588b?dark=false" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"></iframe> The full article will continue below.<hr>Think about this: while we&#39;re here on Earth, a device on Mars (called MOXIE) is breathing life into our interplanetary ambitions by turning carbon dioxide into oxygen. And it&#39;s not just working; it&#39;s thriving. <h3>The minds behind the mission</h3>The team behind the Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment, colloquially known as MOXIE, was led by principal investigator Michael Hecht from MIT but also includes collaborators from Caltech as well as OxEon Energy. Stationed on NASA&#39;s Perseverance rover, which was designed and managed by NASA JPL, this compact device is making interstellar history. <h3>The drive to innovate</h3>Fundamentally speaking, there will be a massive demand for oxygen in a society that is interplanetary &ndash; it is not only required to sustain life but is also necessary for the combustion of rocket fuel. The roots of MOXIE&#39;s endeavor trace back to the persistent challenge in space exploration: resource transport. Carrying massive oxygen tanks across the vast expanse between Earth and Mars is logistically daunting and downright uneconomical. Thus, the inception of MOXIE: to negate this transportation need by producing oxygen right on the Red Planet.Fast forward to today, MOXIE hasn&#39;t just met expectations; it&#39;s exceeded them. From the time of its Martian touchdown in February 2021, the instrument has not only produced oxygen consistently, but it has also done so under varied atmospheric conditions and at different times, day and night. Its performance, irrespective of the fluctuating Martian atmosphere, stands as a testament to its engineering excellence. <h3>MOXIE&#39;s breathtaking success</h3>Between its start-up in February 2021 and September 2023, MOXIE accumulated a total output of 122 grams of oxygen. At maximum operational capacity, the system produced 12 grams of oxygen each hour, achieving a purity level of 98% or higher. The consistent target was six grams of oxygen per hour, a rate comparable to the oxygen output of a standard terrestrial tree.&nbsp;MOXIE matched or exceeded both its purity and volume targets during this experiment.Impressively, MOXIE&#39;s oxygen production was also consistent across Mars&#39; intense seasonal variation. Because of vast differences in temperature between seasons, Mars&#39; atmospheric density can vary up to twofold throughout the year, which presents a dynamic environment for MOXIE&#39;s oxygen production. <h3>The secret sauce behind MOXIE</h3>The wizardry of MOXIE is both fascinating and profoundly technical, ingeniously designed to work under the highly variable Martian conditions.MOXIE begins its operations by first drawing in carbon dioxide-rich Martian air, which is filtered to rid contaminants. The air is subsequently pressurized and channeled through the Solid OXide Electrolyzer (SOXE), which was developed by OxEon Energy. SOXE electrochemically dissects the air into oxygen ions and carbon monoxide. The oxygen ions are skillfully isolated and recombined, resulting in molecular oxygen, or O2. Before releasing it back into the Martian atmosphere (alongside carbon monoxide and other gases), MOXIE conducts tests to determine whether the oxygen&#39;s quantity and purity meet the mark.&nbsp; <img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjk1MjQ1NDc0MjM3LTY0OTBfTWFycy0yMDIwLU5BU0EtTU9YSUUtQ2FyYm9uLU94eWdlbi1mdWxsMi5qcGciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 518px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">NASA/JPL-CaltechFurthermore, accommodating MOXIE&#39;s function within the Perseverance rover&#39;s busy schedule demanded adaptability. Designed to operate intermittently, MOXIE&#39;s performance during various times of the Martian day and throughout diverse seasons showed its resilience. While full-scale versions of MOXIE are envisioned to run continually, the current design&#39;s episodic functioning has demonstrated robustness against potential wear and tear. <h3>Beyond the experiment</h3>Following MOXIE&#39;s success, the research group still sees lots of future work on the horizon for in-situ oxygen production, including designing a future full-scale system that is designed to run nonstop (the current system is designed to operate only in short bursts). The ultimate goal is to a dispatch larger version of MOXIE to Mars and allow it to produce and store up large quantities of oxygen to support future missions.All in all, this isn&#39;t just a technological win; it&#39;s a game-changer. MOXIE&#39;s proven ability to transform plentiful Martian carbon dioxide into oxygen means the dream of return flights from Mars &ndash; and perhaps eventual manned exploration &ndash; &nbsp;is a significant step closer. MOXIE has not just created oxygen but also started paving the path for humanity&#39;s next big interplanetary leap.

MOXIE successfully turned Martian carbon dioxide into usable oxygen – a monumental achievement with even bigger implications for the future of space exploration 


Breathtaking Success on Mars: MOXIE Experiment Delivers as Promised

<div data-mesh-id="comp-llgao0tzinlineContent" data-testid="inline-content"><div data-mesh-id="comp-llgao0tzinlineContent-gridContainer" data-testid="mesh-container-content"><div data-testid="richTextElement">Pushing the boundaries of space technology requires innovative thinking and the right tools for the job.The Scientific Workgroup for Rocketry and Spaceflight (<a href="https://warr.de/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">WARR)</a> at the Technical University of Munich launched their cryogenic rocket 12.7 kilometers above the earth. See how the group transformed “Project Cryosphere” from an idea to a reality with critical parts made by <a href="https://www.makerverse.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">MakerVerse</a>. <img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjkyNzcyMDEwOTc5LVJvY2tldCBpbiBmbGlnaHQuSlBHIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Project Cyrosphere successfully takes off. Photo credit: Matthew Swenson.<div data-testid="richTextElement" id="isPasted"><h3>The challenge: Blasting Off to 11 Kilometers</h3></div><div data-testid="richTextElement">Since its foundation in 1962, WARR has been no stranger to ambitious space-related projects. Within that group is WARR Rocketry, whose student members come from all backgrounds ranging from mechanical engineering to business.The team’s previous altitude record was 4 kilometers. With Project Cyrosphere, they wanted to go far beyond. WARR knew they needed an impeccable design and perfect parts to achieve that goal. One of the significant challenges is the extreme conditions that the rocket would undertake. The 135-kilogram rocket would travel 3.5 times the speed of sound, undergoing intense strain until reaching the apogee. Every part must be precisely manufactured to handle severe heat and cold.Furthermore, the student group faced tight deadlines to complete the rocket in time for the scheduled launch in California (US).<div data-testid="richTextElement" id="isPasted"><h3>The solutions: MakerVerse for the Universe</h3><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjkyNzcyNDQyMjQzLVdBUlIgcGFydHMgKEFwcHJvdmVkKSAoNCkucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">The interior and exterior of the aluminum critical connectors made by MakerVerse. They're attached to carbon fiber.</div><div data-testid="richTextElement">WARR’s rocket is made largely of carbon fiber, as this material combines strength with reduced weight. For the crucial connector interfaces, which connect the carbon fiber with the cryogenic tank and the upper segments of the rocket, WARR turned to MakerVerse.With MakerVerse’s<a href="https://app.makerverse.ai/quote/upload" target="_self" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;on-demand manufacturing platform</a>, WARR gained access to the full range of manufacturing technologies and materials. In this case, <a href="https://www.makerverse.com/offering/cnc" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CNC machining </a>created these aluminum connectors to exact specifications. Considering the delicacy and difficult conditions, MakerVerse’s attention to detail was critical.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjkyNzcyMjIwOTA1LVdBUlIgcGFydHMgKEFwcHJvdmVkKSAoMikucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 427px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">The assembled structure.Throughout the process, MakerVerse provided very clear pricing and communications, which helped ensure all lead time expectations were met.<div data-testid="richTextElement" id="isPasted"><h3>The results: Reaching for the Stars</h3></div><div data-testid="richTextElement">With the successful launch of its cryogenic rocket WARR, gained invaluable date on supersonic flight and the performance of the hardware. This data will be put to use for other projects. The team already has other ambitious projects planned for the near future, including innovative new rocket designs. For these projects, WARR plans to work with MakerVerse again using a combination of additive manufacturing, CNC machining, and other technologies as needed.“MakerVerse was a great partner for our manufacturing projects,” said Francesco Longhetti, Head of WARR Rocketry. “They helped save us a lot of time.”</div></div></div></div></div></div>

See how the student group from Technical University of Munich reached an altitude of nearly 13 kilometers with their rocket launched in the US.  Some key components were made by MakerVerse, the on-demand manufacturing platform for industrial-quality parts. 