Stardust The asteroid and space debris research and training network

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Stardust is a €4.1M research

and training network supported

by the European Commission to

focus on asteroid and space

debris issues on a global scale

Stardust will last for 4 years starting on

the 1st of February 2013

14 partners all

over Europe: 10

full partners and

4 associate

partners

5 universities,

4 companies,

2 national research

centres, 1 university

research centre, one

national observatory

and the European

Space Agency

Strathclyde

University is

the

coordinator

15 researchers will be recruited on

Stardust

8 major training and outreach events

organised within Stardust

• 3 training schools on the major topics of the research programme

• 4 workshops involving the international community

• One final global conference

• A white paper to provide recommendations to the European

Community on what to do next

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Stardust, the first in its kind, is going to train the next

generation of engineers, scientists, decision makers to

face the asteroid and space debris problem

• Who’s who in the

network, and

• Where they are

in the world

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Website

Future portal will be a fully dedicated external site

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Linked-In

Group is not public but people can be accepted if the Supervisory Board agrees

star

dust

@st

rath

.ac.

uk

E-mail address

• Some key commonalities between active debris

removal and asteroid deflection

• Merge two active communities to protect our terrestrial

and space assets

• Cross fertilisation and improvement of key technologies

for asteroid deflection/manipulation/exploitation and

active debris removal/on orbit servicing

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Observation Orbit

Determination Impact

Prediction Manipulation/R

emoval Disposal

Observation Orbit

Determination Impact

Prediction Manipulation/R

emoval Exploitation

SPACE DEBRIS

ASTEROIDS

Three main areas of

research:

Orbit & Attitude Estimation and

Prediction

Active Removal/Deflection

of Uncooperative Targets

Modelling & Simulation

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• This research area forms the basis of every analysis or tool that aims

to predict the evolution of the debris environment, the danger of an

actual impact with an asteroid, the consequences of a deflection or

removal action.

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The prediction of the damage,

the future evolution of the orbit

of debris and asteroids and their

response to a deflection/removal

attempt require modelling of the

dynamics and dynamic

environment, the long term

simulation, the modelling and

simulation of the possible

damage including re-entry and

impact on ground

Modelling & Simulation

• Orbital and Attitude Dynamics Modelling

• Long Term Orbit and Attitude Evolution

• Particle Cloud Modelling and Simulation

• Collision and Impact Modelling and Simulation

• Re-entry Modelling and Simulation

• Asteroid Origins and Characterisation

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• The ultimate goal is to predict, with high precision, the probability of

an impact or collision and the evolution of the associated risk.

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After a removal/deflection action

is applied, the dynamic state of

the asteroid/piece of debris

needs to be estimated with an

appropriate set of observations

and measurements. From the

state estimation, one can predict

the residual damage (that needs

to be brought to zero)

Orbit and Attitude

Determination & Prediction

• Orbit and Attitude Determination

• Impact Prediction and Risk Analysis

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• This research area forms the basis of every analysis or tool that aims

to predict the evolution of the debris environment, the danger of an

actual impact with an asteroid, the consequences of a deflection or

removal action

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Deflection/removal of asteroids

and space debris require

specific technologies, definition

and analysis of specific mission

scenarios and control of the

removal/deflection action

Active Removal/Defle

ction of Uncooperative

Targets

• Mission Analysis

• Proximity Operations

• Active Removal/Deflection

Control Under Uncertainty

• Active Removal/Deflection

Technologies

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• The overriding goal of this network is to train researchers to develop and master techniques for asteroid and space debris monitoring, removal/deflection and exploitation such that they can be applied in a real scenario

• The integration of all the disciplines involved in this network is a fundamental step towards the resolution of the asteroid and space debris issue and has beneficial consequences in all research areas

• The network will require training in a diverse range of fields from ground based optical and radar observation, robotic intervention and advanced propulsion technologies

• The network researchers will therefore receive a uniquely broad and interdisciplinary training, in addition to acquiring specialist skills

• Interestingly, the communities dealing with asteroids and space debris already intersect and many scholars in this ITN work proficiently in both areas

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• Stardust training cycle

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Formal Informative Learning

SCHOOL

Nonformal Transformative Learning

RESEARCH PROJECT

Informal Transformative Learning

INTERNSHIP / SECONDMENT

Nonformal Transformative Learning

WORKSHOP / WORKING GROUP

ER ESR

Informal Learning

R&D PROJECT

Management skills Teaching, supervising

Event organisation Communication skills

Leadership skills

CONFERENCE Technical writing skills

Presentation skills

Formal Informative Learning

INNOVATION/SCHOOL

Report writing Research skills

Industrial experience Communications skills

Time management

1

2

3

4 7

5

6

Proposal writing

Time/resource management

• Working groups are a peculiarity of this ITN and are there to

promote cross-disciplinary training and activities

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Provide cross-disciplinary training to the E(S)Rs

Provide management/supervision training to the E(S)Rs

Blend the activities within this ITN to effectively reach

the common goals of this ITN: active debris removal

and asteroid manipulation

Working Groups

• WGs are formed by E(S)Rs of different institutions who work on a joint

project for up to 6 months

• The initial coordination and supervision of the WGs is provided by the

supervisors of the E(S)R

• After which the coordination/supervision of the WG will pass to the ERs

• WGs will work remotely using Skype, the Linked-In group, the

blog/website, Facebook or other media to communicate and organise

their work

• The results of a set of WGs will be presented at an internal training

event, after which a new set of WGs will be started

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• Candidates need to submit a CV and a cover letter in English

expressing up to 2 job preferences and their motivations for taking up

the selected post

• Applications need to be send to stardust@strath.ac.uk and/or directly

to the host institution

• Two letters of reference need to be submitted by the referees

directly to stardust@strath.ac.uk or to the host institution

• Incomplete applications will not be considered and no feedback will

be provided

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How to apply

• Early-Stage Researchers (ESR) must, at the time of recruitment, be

in the first four years (of full-time equivalent research experience) of

their research careers and have not yet been awarded a doctoral

degree

• For all available positions, at the time of recruitment, applicants must

not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.)

in the country of the host institution (defined as the research institution

or company cited in the job posting) for more than 12 months in the 3

years immediately prior to the reference date

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How to apply

• The post of Early-Stage Researcher is for 36 months, and will start

in Sept/Oct 2013

• May be done in conjunction with a doctoral degree at the host university

• Each ESR will include two 3-month internships to other institutions

within the network

• There are 11 open positions for ESRs

• University of Strathclyde, University of Southampton (UK)

• Universitá di Roma Tor Vergata, Universitá di Pisa (Italy)

• Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (Spain)

• Astronomical Observatory of Belgrade (Serbia)

• DFKI (Germany)

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How to apply

• Experienced Researchers (ER) must, at the time of recruitment:

• Have a doctoral degree or have at least four years of full-time equivalent

research experience, and

• Must have less than five years of full-time equivalent research experience

overall (including the time spent during the PhD)

• For all available positions, at the time of recruitment, applicants must

not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.)

in the country of the host institution (defined as the research institution

or company cited in the job posting) for more than 12 months in the 3

years immediately prior to the reference date

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How to apply

• The post of Experienced Researcher is for 24 months, and will start

in early 2014

• Each ER will include two 3-month secondments to other institutions

within the network

• There are 4 open positions for ESRs

• Istituto di Fisica Applicata "Nello Carrara" (IFAC) del Consiglio Nazionale

delle Ricerche (Italy)

• Dinamica Srl (Italy)

• DEIMOS Space (Spain)

• University of Strathclyde (UK)

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How to apply

• Once an application is submitted, it is evaluated to ensure the

candidate meets the required criteria, and is then assessed and rated

by a board

• Only valid applications will receive an acknowledgement email

• Short-listed candidates will be notified and invited for an interview

approximately 2 months after the application deadline

• Successful candidates will then be offered a position(s)

• Unsuccessful candidates will be also notified by email, with feedback

available upon request

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How to apply

• Average fulltime salary including mobility allowance and training:

• €38000 a year for Early Stage Researchers for 36 months maximum

• €58500 a year for Experienced Researchers for 24 months maximum

• €700 (no family) or €1000(with family) per month of mobility allowance

• Note: these figures are the average only. The exact salary, plus

benefits such as health insurance and pension depend on the host

institution and differ between countries.

• For ESRs, there is also an option to do a concurrent PhD

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How to apply

• More information including research areas and details of each post

are available at:

• http://www.strath.ac.uk/stardust/jobs

• http://ec.europa.eu/euraxess/index.cfm/jobs/index (search for ‘Stardust’)

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How to apply

Deadline for applications for ESR positions: 31 May 2013

Deadline for applications for ER positions: 15 Sept 2013

Milestone Training Events

Opening training school

Network training school

Local training

workshop

Global virtual

workshop

International Stardust

conference

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Milestone Training Events

Opening training school

Network training school

Local training workshop

Global virtual workshop

International Stardust

conference

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• The activities of the researchers start with

an Opening Training School (OTS) that will

encompass all the technical domains of

the research network.

• The school is intended to give an overview

the key subjects underpinning the

monitoring and removal/deflection of

debris and asteroids.

• The OTS will be organised by the

University of Strathclyde and will

specifically address the initial training of

the researchers.

• The school will last for 1 week

Milestone Training Events

Opening training school

Network training school

Local training workshop

Global virtual workshop

International Stardust

conference

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• Following the OTS, there will be two other

schools, held annually, specifically

devoted to cover each of the 3 research

areas

• Each school will consist of:

• Series of short lecture courses on

more advanced topics, given by

experts in the field

• Series of seminars whose aim will be

to give the researchers a broad

overview of the network projects that

they will be contributing to

• Round tables with representatives of

the prime industries and agencies

such that they can provide their point

of view as decision makers

Milestone Training Events

Opening training school

Network training school

Local training

workshop

Global virtual workshop

International Stardust

conference

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• Local training workshops (LTW) are

formative learning experience in which

researchers are brought together to work

on the development of a multidisciplinary

project

• These workshops answer to the need to

prepare the researchers to the

development of a real project in which the

acquired knowledge needs to be applied

to the solution of practical problems

• They will train the researchers to work in

team with a common goal and taking up

different roles (team leader, project

manager, domain specialist, etc.)

Milestone Training Events

Opening training school

Network training school

Local training workshop

Global virtual

workshop

International Stardust

conference

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• GVW will be joint workshops including

video conferences with one or more

institutions outside Europe

• During the video conference researchers

will deliver presentations and attend the

presentations of the working groups in the

extra-European countries

• This network will be able to involve many

more scholars than what could be invited

as visiting researchers, broadening the

training experience to many more sources

of knowledge

• Each workshop will run for 4 days at

different locations around Europe

Milestone Training Events

Opening training school

Network training school

Local training workshop

Global virtual workshop

International Stardust

conference

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• The International Stardust Conference is

the closing event of this ITN with the

involvement of all the partners

• The main aim to present the work of the

ITN to peers and colleagues world-wide,

and to exchange information on the

current and predicted future state of the

art of space debris and asteroid mitigation

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• Effective technologies for asteroid manipulation and material extraction will be developed to protect and support our planet.

How would you deflect an asteroid? Better yet, capture and control it? Mine it for resources?

• Recycling doesn’t apply only to your household waste. Innovative methods of disposing of or reusing space debris will be developed to keep our space clean.

How can we dispose or re-engineer space debris?

• Both asteroids and space debris are tumbling uncooperative objects. Cutting edge optimisation techniques, combined with new ways of incorporating uncertainties will be used to design optimal strategies to control and manipulate asteroids and space debris.

How do you control something that doesn’t want to be controlled?

• Advanced technics for computational fluid dynamics under uncertainty will be developed to accurately predicting the impact of a re-entry object on the ground.

What happens when a piece of debris or an asteroid enters the atmosphere?

2 Early Stage Researcher and 1 Experienced Researcher positions are now open

University of Strathclyde

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University of Pisa

• A European system of collision avoidance for satellites does not exist… yet!

Can you create a system that can predict an impact?

• The Kessler syndrome is a scenario in which the number of space debris is high enough that collisions between objects could cause a cascade

• One implication is that the distribution of debris in orbit could render space exploration, and even the use of satellites, unfeasible for many generations.

What is the risk of debris hitting a satellite? What happens when the collision creates more debris?

• The team has internationally recognized experience in the creation of new algorithms for orbit determination and in performing impact monitoring for near-Earth asteroids

The University of Pisa is currently ranked 1st nationally, in the top 30 in Europe and top 300 in the world

2 Early Stage Researcher positions are now open

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• Rotational and orbital dynamics of Near-Earth Objects (NEO) and space debris is strongly chaotic, being affected by complex spin-orbit couplings, orbit perturbations and, in the case of asteroids, close encounters with major planets

How do asteroids spin? What factors affect their motion?

• The Yarkovsky effect, first noted in 1900, is when the warmer side of an asteroid or meteor, illuminated by the Sun, will emit heat which is enough to alter the spin of an asteroid, and ultimately its orbit

Can the pressure of light from the Sun be enough to alter an orbit?

• Home to the Italian Space Agency Headquarters, National Institute for Astrophysics and the European Space Agency Centre for Earth Observation

Tor Vergata is a unique research environment and one of the most dynamic aggregations in the country

2 Early Stage Researcher positions are now open

University of Rome Tor Vergata

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• Whether it is space debris hitting a active satellite, or an asteroid hitting the Earth, it is vital that we understand the consequences of an impact. Advanced simulation models will be developed to better understand the consequences of an impact.

What is the impact of an impact?

• Autonomous proximity operations, area augmentation devises, passive deorbiting techniques, these only some of the advanced technologies that will be developed to address the disposal of space debris and deflection of asteroids

Which technologies do we need to dispose of space debris or deflect asteroids?

• One of the key centres for space debris in Europe, the University of Southampton covers a number of underpinning areas of research from propulsion to astrodynamics, from robotics to space systems

Southampton is one of the top 15 research universities and one of the leading entrepreneurial universities in the UK

2 Early Stage Researcher positions are now open

University of Southampton

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• Investigate promising orbit propagation methods based on advanced orbital dynamics formulations

How do you predict the path of asteroid? What effect does other planets have on the orbit?

• Come up with new techniques for orbit determination using computer algorithms to simulate and predict the location of space debris

Can you develop models to determine where a piece of space debris will be in 1 week? 1 month? 1 year? 10 years?

• The university has over 225 research units and over 10 Research Institutes and Technological Centres

UPM has a strong commitment to R&D and innovation

1 Early Stage Researcher position is now open

Universidad Politécnica de Madrid

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• Violent collisions among asteroids inject fragments into powerful resonances, which are then responsible for transport of these bodies inside the region of the terrestrial planets

• Identifying from which family particular NEA may have originated is of great importance to predict the characteristics of a possible impactor

Where do Near Earth Asteroids come from? Where did the originate, and what placed them on an orbit near Earth?

• Scientific fields range from dynamical astronomy and planetology, astrophysics of stars and Sun, stellar, interstellar and intergalactic matter, to cosmology and astrobiology

AOB is one of the oldest scientific institutions in Serbia, founded in 1887

1 Early Stage Researcher position is now open

Astronomical Observatory Belgrade

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• Work will to be done to develop software algorithms for AI onboard the spacecraft such that you can ensure a secure, synchronized and controlled approach to a free-flying, uncooperative object

How can you operate side-by-side with a piece of space debris?

• Advanced GNC techniques for a spacecraft will be developed, which is critical when working in close proximity to an irregular-shaped asteroid

What guidance and control do you need to rendez-vous with an asteroid?

• Removing space debris by using robotics is a key field of research within DFKI, this will be extended to examine using contact technology to deflect asteroids

Robotics to save the planet?

• The Robotics Innovation Centre (RIC) maintains a space exploration lab which features a test stand for satellite rendezvous-and-capture, a lunar surface test area, and an ISS mock-up

One of the largest non-profit research institutes in the field of innovative software technology and artificial intelligence

1 Early Stage Researcher position is now open

German Research Centre for

Artificial Intelligence (DFKI)

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• Active debris removal is currently seen as the most viable remediation measure to limit, and possibly stop, the growth of the space debris population

• The removal of objects from space is often a highly complex and expensive task; computer simulations will be developed to assess the different strategies and determine which is the best one to use under what circumstances

What is the most effective way to deal with space debris?

• The dynamical and collisional evolution of a cloud of fragments in Low Earth Orbit will be studied and modelled in a computer simulation environment

What happens to clouds of debris in the short term? Long term?

• The main objectives of the Institute are to produce research at an international level, and innovation for the national economic system

The “Nello Carrara” Institute of Applied Physics is part of the National Research Council, the main public organisation pursuing research and innovation in Italy

1 Experienced Researcher position is now open

Italian Institute of Applied Physics

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• Advanced trajectory design methods will be developed to perform the preliminary mission analysis of trajectories to asteroids and space debris

• Nonlinear and stochastic optimal control techniques will be developed to address the spacecraft control needed for uncooperative targets

Can you optimise the required control for a spacecraft in order to actively remove debris? For an asteroid deflection missions?

• One of the main aims of the company is transfer technology from the space framework to the industrial applications, with particular attention to methodologies and techniques to cope with complex problems

Dinamica is a young Italian SME located in Milan, Italy

1 Experienced Researcher position is now open

Dinamica Srl

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• A host of different approaches will be used for the design of the trajectory from launch to the rendez-vous with the asteroid, including using low versus high thrust propulsion

Catch a lift to an asteroid?

• We will design numerous possible operation orbits, specifically looking for stabile orbits where the spacecraft can remain using a minimum amount of control

• A high degree of precision is needed, leading to the development of high fidelity models for orbit prediction

Sit, stay? What do you do with the spacecraft once you reach the target asteroid?

• Expertise in key areas of: mission analysis, mission requirements definition, GNC, ground-based and autonomous operations, NEO risk assessment, NEO threat mitigation strategies, radio-science experimentation and asteroid characterisation

Deimos was involved in the mission concept studies for the ESA Don Quijote mission on kinetic impact mitigation

1 Experienced Researcher position is now open

Deimos Space

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Stardust ITN The asteroid and space debris research and training network