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SFI-Sentre for forskningsdrevet innovasjon

Centre for Space Sensors and Systems (CENSSS)

Alternative title: Senter for romfartsensorer og -systemer (CENSSS)

Awarded: NOK 82.0 mill.

There are many players in the New-Space segment. With the newly opened Andøya Spaceport, Norway has the capacity of launching satellites in orbit from the Norwegian mainland. This could result in lower total launch costs. Together with commercially available equipment, there will likely be an increase in the use of satellites for different purposes, like navigation, earth observation (EO) and communication. There is still interest in space exploration. NASA and ESA have specifically looked to the Moon, with several planned projects, and a planned Moon base in 2028. CENSSS addresses the scientific and technological challenges and business areas of small satellites for earth observation and exploration of the moon and planets. CENSSS cooperates with Norwegian industry to develop new instruments and sensor systems, integration of satellite systems, operation, and exploitation of satellite data. CENSSS develops new sensors for earth observation satellites, and instruments for mapping space resources. One goal of CENSSS is to model, design, build, integrate, launch, operate and exploit a fully Norwegian New-Space EO satellite. CENSSS operates the ground penetrating radar RIMFAX on the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover. Perseverance has now been operating on the planet for almost three years. RIMFAX has collected more than 22 kilometers of radar images of the Martian subsurface. The Mars 2020 project continuously publishes scientific results from the mission, and the RIMFAX Team has reported their results in scientific journals and at conferences. CENSSS is working on the first satellite, CENSSAT-1, and defining what sensors that could be on board the satellite. CENSSS has now four PhD students and one Post Doc working in the centre. There are plans for further recruitment during next year. CENSSS, in cooperation with IDEAS, is developing a combined gamma ray and neutron spectrometer (GRNS) to measure hydrogen in the ground on the Moon and Mars. In 2023, CENSSS built a laboratory demonstrator of the instrument, demonstrated it’s ability to measure neutrons and gamma rays. Several parts of the detector have been evaluated to identify the best technology for the instrument. These measurements were presented at a poster session at the iWoRiD conference in Oslo, and achieved a best poster award (Ölcek et al, «Development of a compact scintillator-based gamma-ray neutron detector for terrestrial and space applications».).

The New-Space concept, with large numbers of dedicated small and low-cost satellites, is expected to provide opportunities for small nations to acquire their own space capabilities and services, tailored to own needs. And there is a renewed emphasize in the exploration of space, with a planned establishing of a manned base on the moon by 2028 and the further exploration of other planets. CENSSS will address science and technology challenges and business opportunities within New-Space satellites for Earth Observation and within Space Exploration “to the Moon and Mars”. The research areas underpinning these business innovation areas will be sensor and sensor systems, and New-Space satellites system integration, operation and exploitation. CENSSS shall advance the knowledge frontiers in terms of novel sensors for small Earth Observation satellites, as well as novel sensors for planetary resource mapping and exploitation. CENSSS will take an active part in NASA`s Mars 2020 rover mission. The core activity of the Centre shall support at least 10 PhD candidates (30 PhD years) and 15 researcher-years, providing innovative research, development and engineering results as well as providing high-quality candidates for Norwegian space companies and the government sector. CENSSS shall be a national research team and a hub for collaboration and synergies between SMEs, academia and prominent research organizations, stimulating competitiveness and innovation capabilities in Norway within the space sector. The centre will build upon more than 60 years of upper atmosphere space science and technology activities originating from Kjeller, Norway, including upper atmosphere research from Andøya, the recent development and operation of the AISSat / NorSat satellites and the Norwegian georadar RIMFAX that will be on board the NASA Rover Mars 2020.

Funding scheme:

SFI-Sentre for forskningsdrevet innovasjon