The Swiss Space Center invites you to save the date for this workshop on Artificial Intelligence for Space. Two specialists from our industrial member Solenix will introduce this concept and provide concrete examples of areas where your company or research entity can benefit from it.

This workshop is supported by the Software for Operations Working Group and the Earth Observation and Remote Sensing Working Group of the Swiss Space Center.

Empa, the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, and the Swiss Space Center will present the 1^st workshop on Non Destructive Inspections for Space the 5th of June 2019 at Empa in Dübendorf, Switzerland.

The goal of this workshop is to give an introduction and overview  to Non-Destructive Inspection Techniques from industrial, research and technology organization and international organization point of view to the Swiss Space Community. Besides an overview of common industrial NDI techniques, the focus will be on X-ray analytical and imaging techniques.

The European Space Agency, the Swiss Federal Laboratories of Material Science and Technology and Swiss Space Center will present NDI overview, specific techniques, challenges and the importance of such techniques in the miniaturization, integration and technology progress race.

Round tables will facilitate the discussion concerning the NDI needs for space industry between the actors and the visit of laboratories will support the presentations and show concretely what are X-ray NDI and how it works for some cases specially for newcomers.

This event is free of charge/fees and presentations will be open to all participants up to 70 persons. Note that the Swiss Space Center members will have registration priority on non Swiss Space Center members.

Traditionally, satellites and launchers have been the exclusive domain of government agencies and large commercial players. This unique industry logic is currently subject to a major turmoil with  disruptive technologies, ambitious start-ups and savvy investors entering this sector.

In light of those challenges and opportunities, the Swiss Space Center invites you to a one-day workshop on Space Strategy and Business Model Innovation. Our goal is to provide you with a thorough understanding of the current key market trends in Europe and the United States and their implications on your business.

We will introduce new ways of thinking and approaches to corporate strategy. The workshop provides a hands-on experience and insights into Business Model Innovation, an unconventional tool to differentiate your product or service beyond its technical capabilities.

Space Radiation

The harsh space environment is pervaded with high energy particle radiation that affects electrical, electronic and electromechanical (EEE) components employed on board spacecrafts. The radiation effects observed may be in the form of minor component parameter degradation or in some cases catastrophic failure possibly resulting in a spacecraft system breakdown. The understanding of the interaction between the natural space radiation environment, the spacecraft shielding, spacecraft systems and EEE components including knowledge of corresponding tools employed is necessary to ensure successful space missions. The role of a radiation effects engineer encompasses multi-disciplinary fields with focus on subjects such as radiological physics and solid-state physics.

Technical objective

The objective of this course is to give the audience an overview of the natural space radiation environment, the effects of this environment on EEE components, how component sensitivity to the environment is characterised (e.g. via testing) and the Radiation Hardness Assurance processes.

Course description

The course begins by exploring the harsh and dynamic natural space radiation environment and investigates its central role in space project activities and highlights the engineering procedures to achieve the defined mission goals.

The course naturally evolves into defining and describing the three major radiation effect types (Total Ionising Dose (TID), Displacement Damage (DD) and Single Event Effect (SEE)). Their influence predominantly on EEE components is investigated with an overview of corresponding basic mechanisms.

The approach and procedures employed to identify EEE component sensitivity to radiation effects via testing are subsequently examined. The simplified methods used in ground irradiation testing to mimic the complex space radiation environment are explored. Radiation related units are defined and an overview of tools employed provided. The final part of the course defines Radiation Hardness Assurance (RHA) and provides an overview of the RHA process. Subsequently, the RHA procedures are discussed and programmatic aspects (including RHA in typical project organisation and in project life cycle, etc.) reviewed.

CERN experts on radiation effects will give an overview of the characterisation and the use of COTS components within their accelerators. A tour of CERN radiation facilities will conclude this two-day programme.