8th European Space Cryogenics Workshop - ESA/ESTEC

05-06-2023 - 07-06-2023

The 8th European Space Cryogenics Workshop took place at ESA/ESTEC from June 5-7, 2023. The event was organized by the European Space Agency (ESA) in cooperation with companies, institutes and agencies. The aim of the workshop is to cover topics on cryogenic space developments for current and future space missions. Special attention was given to the preparation of the Cryogenics and Focal Plane Cooling Roadmap and ongoing harmonization processes, as well as to the cryogenic aspects of upcoming Earth observation and science missions. Participants from all over Europe shared their technical expertise and experiences through formal presentations and informal discussions. The Netherlands was strongly represented including companies (Thales Cryogenics, Demcon Kryoz), Universities (UTwente), and scientific institutes (SRON, NOVA).

Cooling to extremely cold temperatures is a key technology for both Earth observation missions and scientific missions. The latest developments in cryogenic systems for ongoing space missions were presented and experiences with such systems in space were shared. Future needs in cryogenics for space applications were reviewed. Topics covered included: thermal links, active cooling systems, sub-Kelvin cooling systems, test facilities for cryogenic space applications, integration technologies for cryocoolers, cryogenics for launch vehicles, storage and evaporative cooling, space cryogenic instruments and systems, and challenges in cryogenic systems.