ESA is offering software developers the opportunity to use its new
testbed in space. The robust nanosat will allow individuals, companies
and institutions to try out pioneering software without the danger of
losing a mission.
Satellites are so complex and costly
that their controllers cannot afford to take risks. The need for
reliability means that onboard and ground control software has not
altered significantly in the past 20 years.
But the
tiny Ops-Sat, a CubeSat combining commercial off-the-shelf technology
and ESA expertise, is a chance to try out new ideas in space as early
as 2015.
"This satellite is designed for experimenting
with mission-critical software both on board and on the ground," says
Dave Evans, Ops-Sat project manager at ESA's European Space Operations
Centre in Darmstadt, Germany. "This means it must be flexible, powerful
and robust.
"In this way we can offer a real flying
laboratory for experimenters, whether they are experienced in dealing
with space missions or not."
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Read more: Wanted: ESA seeks innovators for orbiting laboratory / GSP / About Us / ESA
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