Abstract

How Nanotechnology Can Enable Research in Space

Veerle Reumers, R&D Manager, IMEC

As we venture further into space and extend our capabilities in low-earth-orbit, the need for compact and low power instrumentation becomes evident. The characteristics of the space environment pose a technical challenge on the devices that can be deployed. The volume, mass and weight of the instrumentation that can be shipped, installed or manufactured in space is extremely limited.  Imec aims to address these challenges by developing miniaturized technologies resulting in an increase in data capture ability per unit of physical space. We are currently preparing three different imec technologies to be validated in a space relevant environment with the aim to show their value in space research and manufacturing purposes.