Small satellites are the new dominant platforms in the new space economy. Thanks to the very high capabilities of the electronic systems, small satellite, especially if working within the frame of a constellation, can provide innovative services with a cost not achievable from big satellites. However, to fully exploit their huge potential such a platform has specific need both in term of access to orbit and movement in space.

Regarding orbit access, most of the platforms fly as piggy bag on big launcher. This mean that they cannot choose the right orbit and they must fly within a schedule which is not based on their need. Around the world several companies are developing micro launchers to provide a dedicated access to space to small platforms. Micro launchers require the development of innovative propulsion systems capable to combine high performances with reasonable costs.

Once in orbit micro satellites need to reach the right altitude, the right phasing within the orbit and to maintain its position. To do it they do require an onboard propulsion system. These thrusters need to be designed to respect the reduced size of such a platform and to allow low recurring costs. Moreover, innovative missions, such as for example very low earth orbit (VLEO) require dedicated thruster to accomplish the specific mission, in VLEO for example a thruster capable of performing continuous drag compensation is required. These new scenarios open new challenges and opportunities for new innovative technology capable of reaching the right compromise between costs and performances.

Object of this webinar is to provide an overview of the ongoing market scenario related to small platforms than to provide an overview of the most innovative micro launchers developed or currently under development, and finally to provide an overview of the most promising propulsion systems suitable for small satellites developed or currently under development.

Learning objectives: market scenario, micro launchers, small thrusters.

Target audience: doctoral students, non-academic professionals, and undergraduate students.

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This webinar provides an overview of recent developments in sound transmission control through aeronautical panel structures. In the first part, general definitions of the sound transmission efficiency parameters are given; moreover, the classical and advanced structural models used to analyze sandwich structures are depicted. In the second part of the webinar, the attention is focused on recent industrial interests such as 3d-printed lattice materials used for the design of sandwich cores, the homogenization of the lattice material properties is introduced. Furthermore, the passive damping of the multilayered panels can be improved by using soft viscoelastic materials; therefore, their modelling with classical Kelvin-Voigt or fractional derivatives models is explained. In the last part of the webinar, the structural optimization problem is introduced; the original contributions of the authors define a new particle swarm optimization model called the Population Decline Swarm Optimization method. Finally, some case studies concerning the sound transmission control through optimized multilayered shell composite sandwich panels with lattice core embedding viscoelastic sheets are discussed.

Learning objectives:

• Structural models for composite sandwich panels
• Properties evaluation of lattice materials
• Sound transmission optimization of aeronautical panels

Target audience: doctoral students, non-academic professionals, and undergraduate students.

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The course aims to introduce the global-local analysis of metallic and composite structures. Advanced materials, such as composite and smart materials, are commonly used in aerospace applications. These materials can lead to local singularities that require refined models to be investigated. The course will introduce the main approaches used to increase the model fidelity locally. At first, typical global-local problems are presented and discussed. Then, a detailed overview of the main techniques proposed in academia and by commercial codes are presented. Finally, an advanced global-local approach based on variable kinematic models is introduced. Applications and numerical test cases are used to present each approach.

Learning objectives:

• Use of higher-order models for composites and metallic structures
• Pro/Cons of the global/local techniques
• Global/local techniques using commercial software
• Recent developments in the global/local method

Target audience: doctoral students, non-academic professionals, and undergraduate students.

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The aim of the webinar is to provide a synthesis and an overview of the status of the art in some areas of structural dynamics as applied in the Space Industry. The webinar is proposed by a small group of internationally recognized experts from Academia and Industry. Many topics will be investigated, as the fundamental differences between the dynamics of linear and nonlinear systems, concrete academic and industrial applications and an overview of the past effort for the development of methods and procedures for finite element model updating and validation of dynamically loaded structures.

Target audience: doctoral students, non-academic professionals, and undergraduate students.

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Space debris represent a real threat to the Earth orbit access and utilization. In the development and management of a space mission, it is important to focus on evaluating impact risk, the protection of spacecraft from debris impact, and the modelling of impact-induced fragmentation.
This webinar will focus on the current status and the most promising advancements in this field, introducing the best practices suggested by the scientific community and focusing on specific case studies. Attendees will learn about recent advances in catastrophic fragmentation modelling due to hypervelocity impact, impact risk assessment, spacecraft protection.

Target audience: doctoral students, non-academic professionals, and undergraduate students.

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The global composite material and structure market is a multibillion sector with continuous growth, with the aerospace, automotive, construction, marine, and wind energy industries being the big players. The drivers of the expansion are the demand for high-performance and lightweight composites due to stringent regulations towards, e.g., less polluting vehicles or save weight. Emission targets are leading to develop lighter-weight, affordable composite structures and components at higher volumes. Conversely, the reduction of manufacturing costs and the increase in processing efficiency represent some of the next decade’s challenges.

The design of composites cannot use extensions of the methodologies adopted for metals. Such a strategy may lead to oversizing, let alone the risks arising from a wrong design. Composites are more complex material systems than metals due to their multiscale nature. Brittle orthotropic fibers, ductile isotropic matrices, and soft cores coexist.  Such complexity leads to challenging predictive models. E.g., composite structures’ damage and failure mechanism is still far from reliable predictions via virtual models and needs high computational costs, precluding structural engineering calculations. Uncertainties in the models lead to safety factors and tests. Therefore, currently, the full spectrum of composites’ advantages is not exploitable, and costly experimental tests are necessary.

Other challenges may arise during the manufacturing process; in fact, composite parts are commonly subjected to high pressure and temperature cycles during which thermal/curing-induced free-strains are formed. Mismatch of these free strains at various scales, coupled with mechanical properties’ evolution, leads to residual stresses and, consequently, dimensional changes in the cured composite part. The mismatch occurs at the micro-level between constituents (i.e., fiber and matrix), at the meso-level between plies with different orientations, and at the macro-level between the part and the tool via friction and other geometrical constraints. These manufacturing-induced dimensional changes may reduce mechanical performance and pose significant challenges during the assembling of large and complex parts.

Target audience: doctoral students, non-academic professionals, and undergraduate students.

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The webinar provides an overview of recent developments in a specialized research area on aircraftimpact dynamics.
The original contributions from the authors define the state of the art in the chosen thematic area byfocusing attention on cases of industrial interest addressed to development programmes.
They give an overview of the definition of both of the field of applicability and of how the research hasproduced innovations and improvements. Improvements concern certainly materials and structures, butthey also include the ways of energy absorbing involving a greater part of the structure during theimpact.
This webinar is addressed to PhD students, experienced researchers, regulatory agencies and industryspecialists. It discusses the latest aerospace crashworthiness regulations, certification by analysismethods for aircraft, bird strike, metallic & composite structures, impact dynamics up to computationaland experimental techniques. Finally, two case studies about the aircraft seat structures and an aircraftaccident will be discussed.
Target audience: doctoral students, non-academic professionals, and undergraduate students.

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The Space Tether consists of a complex structure where there are three main parts: 1) the primary satellite; 2) a secondary satellite; 3) a cable (of variable lengths) that is used to join the two spacecraft together. This cable allows the transfer of energy and momentum between the two spacecraft, and this transfer can be present in both directions and, in some cases, can switch direction.

The Space tethers can be classified in two different areas: Passive tethers, which are used simply for mechanical connection and mainly transfer momentum from one part to the other; and Electrodynamic tethers, conductive wires or tapes or more complex structures), in which an electric current can flow and pass from one end to the other.

The simplest application involves using the tether system as a de-orbit system; a drag Force is induced on the tether due to its relative motion with respect to the rotating plasma and the satellite.

An opposite application is the injection of electric current from one satellite and has an effect opposite to the de-orbiting; this effect can be used to increase the SMA of the system or produce movements in the orbital plane.

The Electrodynamic tether is a system that can act as an orbital control for small and relatively big structures (depending on the tether length and on the produced current).

Even if the tethers’ dynamics (passive or electrodynamic) are complex and not at all completely understood, the current knowledge in materials and technology is bridging the gap between theory and extensive application in current Space missions.

Learning objectives: dynamics of tethers; bare and electrodynamic differences; space mission possibilities.

Target audience: doctoral students, non-academic professionals, and undergraduate students.

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