Search

This paper presents the GNC concept solution developed for the recovery and landing of Vertical Take-off Vertical Landing (VTVL) launch vehicles in the context of RETALT (RETro-propulsion Assisted Landing Technologies), a European Union Horizon 2020 project with the objective of investigating and developing launch system reusability technologies based on the use of retro-propulsion. The project aims to increase the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of the recovery technologies up to 5 for structures and mechanisms, Thermal Protection Systems (TPS), Aerodynamics and Aero-thermodynamics, and up to TRL 3 for GNC. One of the great technical challenges related to the reusability of launchers is the recovery Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC) system, of which DEIMOS Space is in charge for RETALT. In particular, the design of the powered- descent and landing GNC offers a difficult challenge, since it must allow the system to perform a precision landing in a fast- dynamic environment, with extremely limited fuel margins, and with significant unknown dispersions accumulated during prior phases. To tackle this, state-of-the art algorithms based on hybrid Navigation techniques for state estimation, as well as online convex optimization and successive convexification for the design of the guidance GNC sub- function are explored. The Control algorithm operates in distinct modes dependent on the GNC phase and available GNC actuators, and it is based on modern robust control methods in order to provide analytical guarantees over the control performance in the presence of uncertainties and unmodelled dynamics. The proposed GNC solutions were integrated and tested in a high-fidelity simulator and the performance were preliminary assessed, demonstrating the capability to successfully steer the vehicle to the desired landing site.

This study will analyse the relationship between the progressive establishment of the European internal market and criminal law, mainly focusing on the criminal protection over financial information provided by listed companies in France and Italy. Such protection, traditionally organized by national states, has become a European issue. From the 1960s, the supranational legislator adopted a series of directives, which harmonized the business law of the Member States. In particular, the European Union sought to harmonize accounting principles. Indeed, legal approximation in this area was also seen as a guarantee for the protection of third parties within the European market. Since then, the protection of financial information, always considered as a purely national prerogative, has gradually become Europeanized. Accordingly, the criminal protection of financial information has been implicated in a phenomenon of indirect harmonization. However, economic globalization has increased the importance of stock markets. Within these markets, the quality of financial information becomes of crucial importance. This is why the European Union finally exerted in this area its criminal harmonization competence, provided for in Article 83 (2) of the TFEU. Thus, the criminal protection of financial information has now been directly harmonized. The complexity of the relationship between the European internal market and criminal law is the main questions of this study. The legal comparison method will be used to verify whether the interactions noted between the harmonization of legislation concerning financial information and national criminal law ensure a homogeneous, effective and legitimate protection system. It will also be a question of establishing whether the transition from an indirect criminal approximation to criminal harmonization remains a positive step and if there are still problems to be solved., Centrée sur la relation entre l’établissement progressif du marché intérieur européen et le droit pénal, cette recherche s’occupe de la protection pénale de l’information financière diffusée par les sociétés cotées en France et en Italie. Ladite protection, traditionnellement organisée par les États nationaux, est devenue un enjeu européen. À partir des années 1960, le législateur supranational a adopté une série de directives qui ont rapproché le droit des affaires des États membres, notamment en matière de comptes annuels des sociétés. Le rapprochement juridique dans ce domaine a également été considéré comme une garantie de protection des tiers au sein du marché européen. Dès lors, la protection de l’information financière, longtemps demeurée une prérogative purement nationale, s’est progressivement européanisée. Cette protection, assurée par des sanctions de nature pénale, a été impliquée dans un phénomène de rapprochement purement indirect. Or, les phénomènes de la financiarisation de l’économie et de la mondialisation ont accru l’importance des marchés boursiers. Au sein desdits marchés, la qualité de l’information financière acquiert une importance cruciale. C’est pourquoi, l’Union a finalement exercé en ce domaine sa compétence d’harmonisation pénale accessoire, prévue par l’article 83, paragraphe 2 du TFUE. Ainsi, la protection pénale de l’information financière fait désormais l’objet d’un rapprochement, voire d’une harmonisation directe. La complexité de la relation entre le marché intérieur européen et le droit pénal fonde les questions principales de la présente étude. Grâce à la méthode comparatiste, il s’agira de vérifier si les interactions remarquées entre l’harmonisation des législations concernant l’information financière et le droit pénal national, assurent un système de protection homogène, efficace et légitime. Il s’agira également d’établir si le passage d’un rapprochement pénal indirect à l’harmonisation pénale demeure une avancée positive et s’il reste encore des problématiques à résoudre.

Recovery and reuse of launcher elements is revolutionizing access to space, reducing costs and environmental impact when compared to the classic expendable launchers solutions. The recovery and reusability of Payload Fairings requires innovative technological solutions throughout the flight and ground segments of the mission. This paper presents the current status of the Reusable Payload Fairing (PLF) activities, focused on the Mission Engineering and GNC solutions. Mastering these technologies is critical to trade-off, design, test and fly technical solutions that balance complexity, reliability and costs. Following a general perspective at a programmatic and system level, Mission Engineering and GNC challenges to achieve the PLF recovery and reusability goals are discussed. Key aspects of modelling and simulation of the end-to-end mission - from launcher separation to touchdown - are presented, as well as the related GNC needs and envisaged solutions for the different mission sub-phases. The current high-level estimated mission success identifies the proposed technological solutions as a promising baseline, not only for reusable PLFs, but also for other launcher components.

This paper addresses the autonomous Guidance, Navigation and Control with embedded Image Processing (GNC/IP) developed and validated in the context of the reconnaissance spacecraft technology branch of the European H2020 NEOShield-2 project. These are classified as critical technologies of the GNC/AOCS subsystem, aimed to operate in the approach and hovering phases of missions to irregular small bodies, such as asteroids, comets and small moons. In the mission phases with close approach, subsequent arrival and body-fixed hovering operations the GNC/IP autonomy is deemed valuable/mandatory.

This paper considers the problem of designing FDI algorithms for aircraft, within the scope of the FP7 RECONFIGURE project. Taking advantage of a high-fidelity AIRBUS industrial aircraft simulator (a key asset of the project), this paper provides an overview of the FDI design approach adopted by DEIMOS. A high-level description of the FDI synthesis procedures, including a global optimizationbased approach to tuning, is provided. Finally, verification results, obtained with a Functional Engineering Simulator (FES) tailored for RECONFIGURE, and validation tests, performed at AIRBUS\' facilities, are discussed.

International audience