University students conduct experiments with a free-floating platform at the European Space Agency’s Orbital Robotics Laboratory.

Student teams explored the state-of the-art facilities at ESA’s technical centre (ESTEC) in the Netherlands as part of the ESA Academy Experiments programme. This programme gives university students from around Europe the opportunity to develop their research projects from the conceptual stage, under the guidance of engineers and scientists.

This year, the Orbital Robotics Laboratory is hosting two student teams who will run their experiments with the robotics facilities.

Team STAR-BOTS from the University of Bologna, Italy, will conduct experiments with robots to understand how a swarm of small spacecraft can work together to safely approach, surround and follow space debris.

Team RobOcto from the University of Twente, the Netherlands, will create flexible, octopus-like arms with electrostatic-magnetic gripping.

Students from all over Europe can apply for the Academy Experiments programme. Laura Borella, the programme coordinator, explains: “Students apply through competitive calls for proposals, and once selected, they receive support throughout the entire lifecycle of their project, from concept development to operations and data analysis.”

During the application process, the students benefit from lectures on engineering fundamentals and space business.

Selected teams proceed to the final phase, where they receive training with the facilities at the Orbital Robotics Laboratory before conducting their experiments.

Marti Vilella, Automation and Robotics engineer, explains: “During the kick-off sessions, the students worked on three activities designed by the robotics lab staff, aimed at giving them the best understanding possible of the facilities that they will need to use for their experiments.”

Laura adds: “We see the impact of our activities in the way students are prepared to find their place in industry, bridging the gap between academic learning and real-world practice. Many of our alumni now work across the space sector, regardless of their academic background, and we proudly welcome participants from both STEM and non-STEM fields.”

[Image description: The image shows four people in a lab environment working together on a piece of technical equipment. One person is kneeling on the floor, closely examining a mechanical device positioned on a mat. The device has a combination of metal framing, wiring, and robotics components. Two other individuals sit nearby observing, while a fourth person kneels behind them. Three of them wear ESA (European Space Agency) visitor lanyards, and in the background, there is a large ESA banner. The people all wear shoe covers. The setting has industrial-style walls and a smooth, slightly reflective floor.]