We propose to carry out an FP7 collaborative project to provide the first ever quantitative answer to one fundamental age-old question of mankind: How common are Earth analogs in our Galaxy?. We will achieve our goal by combining the unprecedented photometric precision of NASAs Kepler mission, the unrivalled precision of ground-based radial-velocities from the HARPS-N spectrograph, and ESAs Gaia mission exquisitely accurate parallaxes.
Observations of oscillations on the solar and stellar surfaces have emerged as a unique and extremely powerful tool to gain information on, and understanding of, the processes in the Sun and stars, and the origin of the variability in the solar and stellar output. Through helio- and asteroseismology detailed inferences of the internal structure and rotation of the Sun, and extensive information on the properties of a broad range of stars can be obtained.
PulCheR (Pulsed Chemical Rocket with Green High Performance Propellants) is a new propulsion concept in which the propellants are fed in the combustion chamber at low pressure and the thrust is generated by means of high frequency pulses, reproducing the defence mechanism of a notable insect: the bombardier beetle. The radical innovation introduced by PulCheR is the elimination of any external pressurizing system even if the thruster works at high pressure inside the combustion chamber.
The MAARBLE (Monitoring, Analyzing and Assessing Radiation Belt Loss and Energization) project has two focussed and synergistic aims: to advance scientific research on radiation belt dynamics; and to enhance data exploitation of European space missions through combined use of European and US spacecraft measurements and ground-based observations.
Collisions of asteroids and comets with the Earth have taken place frequently over geological history and have altered the evolutionary course of life; there is no reason why they should not continue to hit the Earth at irregular and unpredictable intervals in the future. Thousands of near-Earth objects (NEOs), mainly asteroids, have been discovered over the past 20 years and the reality of the impact hazard has been laid bare. Can we protect our civilization from the next major impact?
The QB50 Project will demonstrate the possibility of launching a network of 50 CubeSats built by CubeSat teams all over the world as a primary payload on a low-cost launch vehicle to perform first-class science and in-orbit demonstration in the largely unexplored lower thermosphere. Space agencies are not pursuing a multi-spacecraft network for in-situ measurements in the lower thermosphere because the cost of a network of 50 satellites built to industrial standards would be very high and not justifiable in view of the limited orbital lifetime.
Concern about the growth of space debris, aggravated by the increase in the number of countries with direct access to space, made the SPA. 2010. 2. 3-02 Call Topic suggest "preventing generation of new debris and de-orbiting upper stages and spacecraft after mission completion". The Project proposed involves Research and Technology Development of an efficient deorbit system, to be carried in the future by every launched spacecraft. A dedicated system is needed because satellites naturally orbit at ionospheric altitudes where air drag is very weak.
The goal of this project is to develop and flight test a novel, low cost/risk de-orbiting device based on a 25-m squared Solar Sail with a total mass (including the satellite platform) of 3 kg. The approach will be to modify Solar Sail deployment technology for use as a satellite and/or rocket upper stage de-orbiting system. The effectiveness of such de-orbiting device is predicted to be high at altitudes lower than 900 km for mini satellites (20 to 500 kg) if de-orbiting time constraints of 25 years are being considered.
Hard X-ray observations provide a direct observational link to the acceleration and transport of highly energetic particles in solar flares, a phenomenon that has many significant solar-terrestrial consequences. We propose to mainstream the exploitation of high energy solar physics data in Europe. To achieve this overall objective, we will proceed with three complementary activities: theory, computation, and technology. The theory activity will build the background necessary to generalize the use of these data.
The security of space assets are affected by the high-energy charged particle environment in the radiation belts. The controlling principal source and loss mechanisms in the radiation belts are not yet completely understood. During a geomagnetic storm the length of time during which space assets are in danger is determined by the loss mechanisms, particularly by relativistic electron precipitation. The primary mechanism for this precipitation is the interaction of several wave modes with resonant electrons which leads to scattering into the atmospheric loss cone.
