Aboa Space Research Oy (ASRO) is privately owned, small-sized company in Finland. It was founded in May 1999 by a group of people with strong background in space technology, electronics, radiation detection and solar-terrestial science.

ASRO is co-operating with the Space Research Laboratory (SRL), University of Turku. The SRL laboratory includes all the facilities for the development of modern space born instrumentation, e.g., a clean room, laboratory room, two vacuum chambers (the larger one equipped with a QCM for contamination monitoring), a complete set of test equipment for particle detector testing including radiation sources, and tools and facilities for the development of electronics. ASRO has also had close relations and co-operation with the nearby Laboratory of Microelectronics, a laboratory for circuit processing and design.

Activities of ASRO

ASRO has currently two main activities: Space radiation monitors and space debris search. The ASRO staff has up to 25 years experience in these fields.

Space Radiation monitors

ASRO staff has had the key role in development and technical management of ERNE particle detector onboard SOHO. The tasks included the design and tests of the ERNE sensors and electronics, onboard data analysis software, ground support system, and calibration of the instrument at various accelerator facilities.

Significant contributions have also been made to the ground support equipment and silicon tracker of CERN's and NASA's large AMS antimatter experiment.

ASRO has also designed a Charged Particle Telescope for ESTEC (European Space Research & Technology Centre).

Available CPT Technical Data Package documentation.

Space Debris Activities

ESA has developed a 1-meter optical telescope together with a large array CCD camera for high altitude space debris search. The project has been carried out by industry in ESA member states and ASRO staff has been managing the contracts for ESA.

ASRO has defined and carried out the final acceptance tests of the system. ASRO has also provided expertise in the setting up the nearly real time control system for the telescope and the camera.

The project is now operational and ASRO is managing the observations and upgrades of the system.

Space-Based Optical Observation of Space Debris

ASRO is collaborating with NLR (National Aerospace Laboratory, Netherlands) and AIUB (Astronomical Institute University of Bern, Switzerland) under contract with ESOC (European Space Operations Centre) to study requirements for "Space-Based Optical Observation of Space Debris".

SBOOSD project documentation.

Other experience

In the above projects ASRO staff has gained significant experience in the following fields:

• onboard electronics
• onboard software
• radiation detectors
• ground support systems
• data analysis software
• plasma simulations and space radiation modelling
• near real time control systems

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Aboa Space Research Oy
Lemminkäisenkatu 14-18 B
FI-20520 Turku
Finland

Esa Riihonen Phone: +358 40 352 4111 Email: Esa.Riihonen@asro-space.com

Jyri Kuusela Phone: +49 173 320 5401 Email: Jyri.Kuusela@asro-space.com

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