Fabrizio Turco

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• Master of Science
• Research Associate and PhD Candidate at University of Stuttgart

Aerodynamic collision avoidance manoeuvres provide an opportunity for satellites in Low Earth Orbits to reduce the risk during close encounters. With rising numbers of satellites and objects in orbit, satellites experience close encounters more frequently. Especially those satellites without thrusting capabilities face the problem of not being able...

Collision avoidance is a topic of growing importance for any satellite orbiting Earth. Especially those satellites without thrusting capabilities face the problem of not being able to perform impulsive collision avoidance manoeuvres. For satellites in low Earth orbits, though, perturbing accelerations due to aerodynamic drag may be used to influenc...

The increasing number of objects in Low Earth Orbit makes active collision avoidance imperative for satellites operating in this region. Even if subjected to natural decay due to atmospheric drag, these satellites may persist as enduring debris in the event of a collision with a secondary object. Furthermore, a propulsion system may not be compatib...

Sustainability is no longer just a marginal topic but a key challenge for modern space flight activities. Consequently, the student group experiment FARGO (Ferrofluid Application Research Goes Orbital) is dedicated to increasing the longevity of specific space components and, thus, reducing wear and tear and resource consumption while simultaneousl...

The growing deployment of nanosatellites in Low Earth Orbit has increased interest in aerodynamic control methods like differential drag. This technique adjusts a satellite’s attitude to vary drag and influence relative motion—without the need for propulsion. While theoretically flexible, real-world application is limited by operational constraints...

In contemporary satellite systems, the Attitude and Orbit Control System (AOCS) manages internal torque generation primarily through Reaction Wheels (RW) and Control Moment Gyros (CMG), which use mechanically mounted rotating disks to control orientation without expelling mass. Unlike magnetorquers, which interact with Earth’s magnetic field, or th...

The increasing deployment of nanosatellite formations in Low Earth Orbit has amplified interest in aerodynamic control methods, such as the usage of differential drag to manage satellite formations. These manoeuvres offer a simple methodology for influencing the relative motion of satellites without requiring a traditional propulsion system. From a...

The increasing number of objects in Low Earth Orbit makes active collision avoidance imperative for spacecraft operating in this region. If a propulsion system is not allowed due to safety concerns and mass or volume constraints, the collision risk can be mitigated by exploiting active aerodynamic drag modulation. When applied effectively, this app...

FARGO is short for Ferrofluid Application Research Goes Orbital which is aproject developed by the Small Satellite Student Society of the University of Stuttgart (KSat e.V.) supported by the Institute of Space Systems at the University of Stuttgart (IRS). Selected as a winner of the Überflieger 2 competition by the Space Agency within the German Ae...

Ferrofluids offer a wide range of applications by enabling wearless systems for future space missions. As part of the FARGO (Ferrofluid Application Research Goes Orbital) project, an active Thermal Switch using ferrofluid was developed and validated during a 26-day International Space Station (ISS) mission. This experiment was conducted as part of...

Effective collision avoidance strategies will play a central role in the future in order to take account of the rapidly increasing number of satellites in Low Earth Orbit and the associated increase in collision probabilities. For small, lightweight satellites (e.g. CubeSats), propellantless options represent a highly attractive solution. A targete...

Rocket bodies account for about 50 % of the total debris mass currently orbiting the Earth. They contribute significantly to the consistent growth in space debris due to their high collision and fragmentation risk and represent a high on-ground risk in the event of an uncontrolled re-entry. As a compensatory measure, orbital rocket stages are to de...

Ferrofluid-based systems provide an opportunity for increasing the durability and reliability of systems, where mechanical parts are prone to wear and tear. Conventional reaction control systems are based on mechanically mounted rotating disks. Due to inherent friction, they suffer from degradation, which may eventually lead to failure. This proble...

The Ferrofluid Application Research Goes Orbital (FARGO) project desires to harness the potential of ferrofluids for advanced space system applications. Thereby, the student-led research project aims to develop, evaluate and subsequently validate three different ferrofluid-based applications on board the International Space Station (ISS): a novel a...

In contemporary satellite systems, Reaction Control Systems (RCS) serve as one of the primary means for generating internal torques within the Attitude and Orbit Control System (AOCS). Notably, these systems encompass Reaction Wheels (RW) and Control Moment Gyros (CMG), both characterized by mechanically-mounted rotating disks engineered for maximi...

Solar and geomagnetic activity have a direct impact on the Earth’s atmospheric density and composition, thus also affecting the interaction between satellites in (Very) Low Earth Orbits ((V)LEO) and the residual atmosphere. Aerodynamic satellite manoeuvres make use of this interaction and exploit the resulting force to alter a satellite’s trajector...

This paper presents the final outcomes of the Ferrofluid Attitude Control (FerrAC) project, highlighting key iterations and insights gained. Performance expectations for the optimized design in terms of torque generation and angular momentum storage are outlined. Moreover, a refined design iteration as part of the project Ferrofluid Application Res...

A great potential for the future of spaceflight lies in ferrofluid based systems which offer a wide range of advantageous applications. Ferrofluid Application Research Goes Orbital (FARGO) represents a detailed investigation of promising ferrofluid application in the ISS micro-gravity environment. Three different fer-rofluid based systems have been...

Technological solutions, demonstration concepts, and mission results on novel ferrofluidic systems developed by KSat e.V. in cooperation with the IRS Uni Stuttgart are to be presented in this paper. The novel approach aims for the replacement of conventional mechanical components with ferrofluidic solutions. This allows the negation or minimization...

Thermal Switch that was tested in ISS microgravity

Ferrofluids offer a wide range of applications by enabling wear-less systems for future space missions. As part of the FARGO (Ferrofluid Application Research Goes Orbital) project, an active thermal switch using ferrofluid was developed and validated during a 26-day International Space Station (ISS) mission. This experiment was conducted as part of...

In contemporary satellite systems, Reaction Wheel (RCS) serve as one of the primary means for generating internal torques within the Attitude and Orbit Control System (AOCS). Notably, these systems encompass Reaction Wheels (RW) and Control Moment Gyros, both characterized by mechanically-mounted rotating disks engineered for maximal moment of iner...

Collision avoidance is a topic of growing importance for any satellite orbiting Earth. Especially those satellites without thrusting capabilities face the problem of not being able to perform impulsive collision avoidance manoeuvres. For satellites in Low Earth Orbits, though, perturbing accelerations due to aerodynamic drag may be used to influenc...

Any mechanical component experiences wear and tear. Consequently, component lifetime is limited. To ensure reliability for any mechanism to be operated in space currently redundancy, high quality materials as well as extreme lifetime and endurance tests are required. While such measures drive costs and development time absolute success can never be...

FARGO is short for Ferrofluid Application Research Goes Orbital which is a project developed by the Small Satellite Student Society of the University of Stuttgart (KSat e.V.) supported by the Institute of Space Systems at the University of Stuttgart (IRS). Selected as a winner of the Überflieger 2 competition by the Space Agency within the German A...

Thermal management poses a key challenge in the construction of spacecraft. It is a critical factor to enhance the lifetime of components and enable long-term missions. Currently, the possibilities for actively controlling heat flux in a system are limited and mostly rely on mechanical systems. In this paper, an active thermal switch utilizing EFH-...

Technological solutions and demonstration concepts on novel ferrofluidic systems replacing mechanical components, are presented in this paper. In addition to minimizing wear and tear, ferrofluidic components are less prone to cause vibrations, enabling operation of sensitive payloads like Earth observation equipment. Current research activities inc...

Collision avoidance is a topic of growing importance for any satellite orbiting Earth. Especially those satellites without thrusting capabilities face the problem of not being able to perform impulsive collision avoidance manoeuvres. For satellites in Low Earth Orbits, though, perturbing accelerations due to aerodynamic drag may be used to influenc...

Ferrofluid-based systems provide an opportunity for increasing the durability and reliability for systems , where mechanical parts are prone to wear and tear. Conventional reaction control systems are based on mechanically mounted rotating disks. Due to inherent friction, they suffer from degradation, which may eventually lead to failure. This prob...

Aerodynamic collision avoidance manoeuvres provide an opportunity for satellites in Low Earth Orbits to reduce the risk during close encounters. With rising numbers of satellites and objects in orbit, satellites experience close encounters more frequently. Especially those satellites without thrusting capabilities face the problem of not being able...

Collision avoidance is a topic of growing importance for any satellite orbiting Earth. Especially those without thrusting capabilities face the problem of not being able to perform impulsive evasive manoeuvres. For satellites in LEO, though, perturbing accelerations due to aerodynamic drag may be used to influence their trajectories, thus offering...

Ferrofluid Application Research Goes Orbital (FARGO) is a student project with three distinct ferrofluid applications being developed and subsequently validated onboard the ISS. The project is part of the Überflieger2 competition of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in cooperation with the Luxembourg Space Agency (LSA). A novel attitude control sys...

Scaling effects on the performance of the coaxial pulsed plasma Thruster PETRUS 17J, which was developed at IRS, are investigated. In several test campaigns the condensator bank’s capacity, the propellant’s surface area and the design of the anode connection are varied. The obtained data are used to form scaling models for the performance factors....