Space Archives - Annual Report SnT

Cryptography

Getting Luxembourg ready for quantum communication

Q-day – the day that quantum computers will be used to break the encryption standards currently in use – seems to loom closer and closer, and countries worldwide are gearing up, Luxembourg included. Several groups of researchers at SnT are currently working on a range of quantum communication infrastructure (QCI) projects to support the Grand Duchy in protecting governmental and business data, with e-government and secure data centre interconnectivity being just two of the primary fields of application for these technologies.

The Beginning of a New Network Paradigm

The classic economics of supply and demand have stunted the roll-out of internet infrastructure around the world, leaving 2.9 billion people still unconnected today. Addressing this challenge has been the remit of public policy makers, corporations, and researchers for decades.

Robotics

Visual Intelligence for Robotic Arms in Space

As we continue in pushing the frontiers of technology on Earth, our future forays into space will depend on ambitious missions that will reach for the stars. Remarkable innovations taking shape today will enable us to assemble and service satellites in orbit, extract resources on the Moon, and build a resilient infrastructure beyond our planet. To achieve this, we’ll need space robots that are highly capable, scalable, and intelligent, so they can perform a variety of tasks in challenging environments.

Distributed Systems

Launching a Pioneering and Distributed Satellite Network

In the late nineties, Bob Twiggs – then a professor at Stanford University – walked into a toy store and came out with an idea that would later catalyse the shift of the space industry for decades to come. He wanted to think of a way that could enable his engineering students to obtain experience in building and launching satellites, something that at the time was unheard of. Dominated by government agencies, at this time building satellites was expensive business, and the barrier to entry was simply too high.

Artificial Intelligence

Bringing Research and Standardisation Closer Together in Luxembourg

Whether we as consumers are buying a product or receiving a service, we’d like to think we’re going to be safe in our choices. If we’re buying responsibly, experts behind the scenes have distilled their knowledge into standards that keep us safe from harm. More generally, through technical standardisation, society overall can benefit from consensus-based technical specifications that enhance interoperability, efficiency and quality. We see this through product quality control, health and safety practices and food safety protocols – to name just a few – but actually, technical standards can cover most areas of our life, beyond just safety.

Robotics

The Rovers Searching for Water on the Moon

It’s the year 2028. A robot is landing on the southern pole of the lunar surface with one objective – to find resources. With poor visibility due to low lighting, this robot will need to navigate dusty, loose regolith and rocks in its search for water, one of our most valuable resources.

Computer Vision

SnT Launches Two New Space Labs

The unique laboratories at SnT provide the ideal simulated environments for researchers to test their work. This year, SnT added two unique laboratories to its space research facilities.

CubeSats

It’s Time to Clean Space

Right now, as we speak, a staggering 131 million fragments of junk are orbiting our planet, travelling at a speed of 28.100 km/h, with incredibly high momentum. In fact, space debris is an environmental catastrophe whose effects are becoming increasingly dangerous. So dangerous, in fact, that the U.S. Space Force is looking into buying debris-removal services from the private sector.

Distributed Systems

Autonomous Satellite Constellations for Ubiquitous Internet Coverage

The NewSpace era is here to stay, and has been fuelled by the possibilities offered by low Earth orbit satellite constellations and the connectivity they provide – so much so, in fact, that even institutions like the EU are now launching their own satellite constellations.

Exploring 5G Connectivity in Orbit and on the Moon

As countries and companies worldwide reach advanced milestones in the new space race and prepare for future missions to the Moon, a number of technical aspects of lunar expeditions have yet to be defined. One of them, connectivity, constitutes a very pressing problem. How will future missions on the Moon communicate with each other, alongside ground stations on Earth?

Tag: Space