Human Spaceflight

Over the last 40 years, OHB has accumulated all the necessary experience and expertise to successfully carry out human spaceflight projects for the development of various payloads for the International Space Station, unmanned satellites (FOTON, BION) and sounding rockets (TEXUS, MAXUS).

Development of Human Spaceflight Facilities, Subsystems and Experiments:

• Experiments
  Development of experiment equipments including data and power systems, instrument/sensor implementation and qualification, implementation of fluidic and optical systems as well as mechanisms, embedded, command and control software, Software MMIs and databases, functional and environmental testing, sterile processing.
• Facilities and Infrastructure
  Development of infrastructure, scientific facilities and subsystems including the mechanical structure and mechanisms, data and video management system, facility software, power and thermal control system and life support systems for biological experiments as well as performing all associated engineering qualification and acceptance tasks.
• Unpressurized payloads:
  Development and qualification of exposure platforms, scientific modules, instruments and experiments for long-duration exposure to investigate the effects of solar and cosmic radiation on biological and non-biological samples
• Technology demonstrators:
  Examples technologies are air quality monitoring, 3D printing in space, a human physiology countermeasure exercise device, observing a relativistic quantum effect and quantum key distribution and robotic component verification outside the ISS

COTS qualification
Space qualification of commercial devices and instruments, computer systems, batteries, hard disks and cameras. Examples are the Science Module Support Computer and Video Unit of the European Physiology Facility, the PK-4 Communication and Video Unit, Exobiology Facility Spectrometers, Myotones muscle measurement device and its battery.

Phase E Payload Engineering, Integration and Operations Support:
Engineering Service for the operational phase, e.g. for the European Modules Facility, on which up to now 20 different experiments were executed, and the subsystems developed by OHB in the other Columbus facilities, as well as for the PK-4 experiment facility.

HSF Processes and logistics support, e.g. acceptance processes from phase A to E, payload space safety, ops procedures, training inputs, labelling, packing

Ground Segment Software, e.g. ground segment payload command and control software, monitoring software for external user bases