• The phase 1 concentrates on proximity navigation strategies. The investigations will allow specifying the sensor, the test facilities and the assessment protocols.
• The phase 2 is devoted to the design and the realization of the sensor and the test facilities in accordance with constraints resulting from the phase 1.
• The phase 3 is the validation phase. The sensor, the test facilities and assessment protocols are used together to study the applicability for proximity navigation of the sensor architecture.

Components interdependencies

The project activities are organized in five technical Work Packages (WP), in addition to one WP for management and one for dissemination. Interdependencies among project's components are indicated by arrows connecting blocks in the Figure 2.

Work Package descriptions

WP 1: Project management and quality assurance (CSEM)

The objective of WP 1 is to effectively monitor the project, in administrative, management and financial terms, to guarantee the adherence of the work to the overall project strategy, check resources availability and timing, to offer the necessary interface to the EC and REA services and external actors, to ensure the quality of the project management, to guarantee that all ethical and legal issues related to the project research are being properly considered and any relevant conventions are being respected, and to cope with relevant gender issues. This includes the preparation and delivery of deliverables of the WP1, preparation and post-processing of REA reviews from the consortium-side including support in the implementation of recommendations from the REA and reviewers, preparation, execution and post-processing of Steering Committee meetings, implementation and maintenance of a project-specific database for reporting and controlling, and implementation and maintenance of the project infrastructure.

WP 2: Applications requirements/GNC strategies (Astrium)

The objective of WP 2 is to select soft-landing/docking scenarios that will drive the complete design, outline technical requirements of the sensor and of the test facilities, to define the key requirements for the selected scenarios, and specifications of the LIDAR performance model, to optimize the GNC strategies with respect to expected capabilities and performances of the novel optical sensor, to assess overall GNC performances achievable through the new sensor performance model, and to define the LIDAR's key specifications and sensor prototype assessment protocols and test conditions for representative dynamic trials in ground test facilities.

WP 3: Sensor architecture (CSEM)

The objective of WP 3 is to define the overall system architecture of the FOSTERNAV optical sensor, to select sensor architecture options and system elements, to define interconnections and elements interfaces and provide building blocks specifications, and to design the optical sensor system and a sensor prototype according to the sensor architecture and the ground test facilities.

WP 4: Dynamic test facilities (DLR)

The objective of WP 4 is to assess the test facilities specification and check feasibility, to trade-off different test setups regarding to complexity, feasibility and performance (representation of dynamics, radiometry, environment), to design new test facilities and/or enhance existing test facilities according to selected soft-landing/docking scenarios, to construct the test facilities, to assess the test facilities and to further iterate and update the sensor assessment protocol on the ground test bench.

WP 5: Sensor detailed design and realization (CSEM)

The objective of WP 5 is to carry out the detailed system design (optics, mechanics, electronic, software) of the flash optical sensor, to develop and realize the building blocks, to realize sensor prototype by building blocks integration (build-block assembly, system test) and to make the static functional assessment of the building blocks and system.

WP 6: Sensor dynamic assessment (DLR)

The objective of WP 6 is to install and prepare the sensor on the test facilities, to reproduce the dynamic, geometric, radiometric and environmental conditions of the mission-scenarios according to the defined test cases in the sensor assessment protocols, and to calibrate and characterize the sensor in the test facilities.

WP 7: Dissemination and exploitation (VTT)

The objective of WP 7 is to promote FOSTERNAV contribution to space GNC/robotic bodies, to guarantee the impact on European economy through the planning and management of exploitation, to disseminate and follow-on activities, to safeguard the process of exploitation of results and to investigate the market exploitation potentials and to ensure wide dissemination of the project’s results to all potential interested parties.