Astos Solutions

Astos Solutions is a German company that makes software and services for space missions, including trajectory optimisation.

Its tools support work on launch vehicles, re-entry vehicles, in-orbit missions, interplanetary transfers, vehicle design, and safety and risk. They help with feasibility studies, mission planning and analysis, reference trajectories, performance calculations, and verification and validation. The solutions cover early design phases, later project phases and the operational phase.

The company groups its work into several fields. Trajectory optimisation covers launch, re-entry and orbit transfer. Multidisciplinary design optimisation looks at structure, propulsion, thermal protection and power. Mission performance analysis covers visibility, link budget, coverage, navigation and lifetime. System concept analysis models thermal, power and data management. Camera and lidar simulation allows closed-loop tests of relative navigation for rendezvous and landing. A real-time validation test bench offers affordable model, processor and hardware in the loop solutions, up to special check-out equipment. The company also offers launch and re-entry risk analysis.

The product range includes ASTOS, LOTOS, a camera simulator, a MIL, PIL and HIL test bench, AOCS SCOE equipment, GAMAG, GAMAX, DCAP, PEET, GESOP, SOS, VESTA and the Syntony GNSS simulator. ASTOS handles launch vehicle performance, launcher guidance and control, multiple payload deployment, satellite design, space robotics and orbit manoeuvre optimisation. LOTOS is for low-thrust orbit transfer and electric propulsion orbit raising. GAMAG and GAMAX are for magnetic field work. PEET covers pointing error engineering. The ground support equipment uses dSPACE hardware.

ASTOS 10 is a major release. It improves launcher safety analysis, multi-body dynamics, mission modelling, real-time visualisation and hardware in the loop integration. Astos also started the HyGo project, which aims to develop an upper stage for an orbital rocket using new and low-cost methods.

Services

• Trajectory optimisation
• Spacecraft design optimisation
• Mission performance analysis
• System concept analysis
• Camera and lidar simulation
• Real-time validation test bench
• Launch and re-entry risk analysis
• Space mission software