4CON - Interactive Consultancy for Space, Science and Technology

Conceptual Design Study of DOME: A Facility for Design and Optimisation of Moon/Mars Explorers
- Client: ESA, ESTEC Contract No. 19642/05/NL/CP
- Period: Conceptual study (February - July 2006), Detailed design (November 2007 - May 2008)
- Prime Contractor: 4CON Ltd.
- Consultants: Ove Arup, Davis Langdon Associates and Altus Associates

Such a planetary surface emulation facility, now referred to as DOME (for A Facility for Design and Optimisation of Moon/Mars Explorers) will be an important ESA project, purpose-designed to contain and conduct specialized research on and simulations of lander and rover surface operations at Mars and other locations. No such research facility with theses capabilities exists elsewhere at present. It has the potential to be a project of international significance, providing not only an effective research and development tool but a window for public and educational observation of the cutting edge of space exploration. A conceptual design study was carried out by a 4CON-led team in the period February - July 2006. The other team members were Ove Arup, Davis Langdon Associates and Altus Associates. The study work was divided into three main elements:
• Definition of the detailed system requirements of the DOME;
• Design the DOME to fulfill the requirements and cost;
• Define planning and costing for an incremental development of the DOME.
The second phase of the DOME project, to carry out the design work and the production of an Engineering Drawing and Data Package to support contractor tendering for the construction of the DOME, commenced in November 2007 with the same team and was completed in May 2008.
dome

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		Projects completed to date: Sustainability of Space Activities, Isolation Laboratory Design Scientific American Special Edition "Looking Up" "The Dome" Planetary Surface Emulation Facility History of Space Activities in Ireland PlanetSpace Europe Bibliometric Study in Space Life and Physical Science Space Science and Space Education Market Analysis Sustainability of Space Activities - Client: ESA, ESTEC Contract No.: 21930/08/NL/HE - Period: November 2008 - August 2009 - Prime Contractor: Logica UK Ltd. - Subcontractor: 4CON Ltd. - Consultants: Altus Associates 4CON was a major member of the Logica team selected to carry out a study on sustainability and space activities for ESA. 4CON tasks for the overall project comprised a survey of current sustainability legislation worldwide (including the US and Japan) and a comparison with space systems requirements so as to identify areas of conflict and concern, focussing on four ESA mission case studies - Ariane 5, Rosetta, ATV and Galileo. The project commenced in November 2008 and was completed in August 2009. Isolation Laboratory Design - Client: ESA, ESTEC Contract No.: 21763/08/NL/VJ - Period: September 2008 - August 2009 - Prime Contractor: 4CON Ltd. - Consultants: Altus Associates, Davis Langdon Associates, RFR, EADS Space Transportation. A 4CON-led team (also including Altus Associates, Davis Langdon Associates, RFR and EADS Space Transportation) has been selected to evaluate the feasibility of converting part of SCK-CEN's underground HADES laboratory at Mol, Belgium, into an isolation facility for the simulation of long duration manned space missions. The project commenced in September 2008 and was completed in August 2009. Production of Scientific American Special Edition "Looking Up" - Client: ESA, ESTEC Contract No.: 21048/07/NL/VJ - Period: October 2007 - September 2008 - Prime Contractor: Space Channel - Subcontractor: 4CON Ltd. This project, which commenced in October 2007 and completed in September 2008, aimed to publicise the scientific work carried out under the ELIPS (European Life & Physical Sciences in Space) programme of ESA's Directorate of Human Spaceflight, Microgravity and Exploration. The first phase of the project resulted in the realisation of a Scientific American custom publication Looking Up: Europe's Quiet Revolution in Microgravity Research in time for the ESA Ministerial Meeting in late 2008. 4CON supported Paris-based communications company Space Channel in the execution of this project. 4CON's tasks covered project management support, science and editorial consultancy and identification of, and liaison with, sponsors and advertisers. Conceptual Design Study of DOME: A Facility for Design and Optimisation of Moon/Mars Explorers - Client: ESA, ESTEC Contract No. 19642/05/NL/CP - Period: Conceptual study (February - July 2006), Detailed design (November 2007 - May 2008) - Prime Contractor: 4CON Ltd. - Consultants: Ove Arup, Davis Langdon Associates and Altus Associates Such a planetary surface emulation facility, now referred to as DOME (for A Facility for Design and Optimisation of Moon/Mars Explorers) will be an important ESA project, purpose-designed to contain and conduct specialized research on and simulations of lander and rover surface operations at Mars and other locations. No such research facility with theses capabilities exists elsewhere at present. It has the potential to be a project of international significance, providing not only an effective research and development tool but a window for public and educational observation of the cutting edge of space exploration. A conceptual design study was carried out by a 4CON-led team in the period February - July 2006. The other team members were Ove Arup, Davis Langdon Associates and Altus Associates. The study work was divided into three main elements: • Definition of the detailed system requirements of the DOME; • Design the DOME to fulfill the requirements and cost; • Define planning and costing for an incremental development of the DOME. The second phase of the DOME project, to carry out the design work and the production of an Engineering Drawing and Data Package to support contractor tendering for the construction of the DOME, commenced in November 2007 with the same team and was completed in May 2008. History of Space Activities in Ireland - Client: ESA - Period: November 2007 - September 2008 - Prime Contractor: 4CON Ltd. 4CON was retained by the ESA's Director General's Cabinet to produce a paper A Short History of Space Activities in Ireland. ESA has been having similar articles prepared for all member states as part of its ESA Extended History Project. The paper provides a survey of the historical development of space policy in Ireland, describing the milestones and turning points in that history. The work was commenced in late 2007 and the completed paper was published in September 2008 as Issue 40 of ESA's History Study Reports (HSR). PlanetSpace Europe - Client: PlanetSpace Inc. - Period: 2007 - Ongoing 4CON has signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the space commercialization company PlanetSpace in the USA/Canada to assist in the establishment of a European presence for this organisation. This will include the set up of a commercial front-office in Europe, the securing of investment and the establishment of a launch and landing site for suborbital space operations. Bibliometric Study in Space Life and Physics Sciences - Client: ESA, ESTEC Contract No.: 19170/05/NL/VJ - Period: July 2005 - September 2006 - Prime Contractor: 4CON Ltd. - Subcontractor: Centre for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS), Leiden University - Consultants: Four renowned European space life/physical scientists This project was executed in collaboration with the Centre for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS), Leiden University in the period July 2005 - September 2006. The work consisted of four main tasks covering the detailed definition of the publication set to be analysed, the analytical methodology and tools to be applied and two bibliometric analyses, the first focusing on the relative research position of Europe versus other countries in these areas and the second focusing on visibility, audience and spin-off; that is to say the extent to which research in these areas impinges on life and physical sciences research in general. 4CON was responsible for the overall project management for the study and the coordination of a science team to select the publication set and to review and advise on the work. CWTS carried out the bibliometric analysis. Space Science and Space Education Market Analysis - Client: Astrocourier Ltd. - Period: 2006 - Ongoing 4SPACE has, since January 2006, been retained by commercial space company Astrocourier (Ireland) Ltd., to assist in market analyses being carried out in the areas of space science and space education. These analyses support the development of Astrocourier's range of small experiment carriers, educational experiments and launch services offering low cost access to space to schools, universities & research institutes, SME's, entrepreneurs and enthusiasts. The figure shows Astrocourier's prototype SEEK (Spaceflight Education Experiment Kit) unit prior to its flight on the FOTON M3 mission in September 2007.
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