ESA title
m-nLP successfully transferred to Bartolomeo platform
Enabling & Support

m-NLP begins measurements as first experiment onboard Bartolomeo

20/09/2023 4205 views 13 likes
ESA / Enabling & Support / Space Engineering & Technology / Shaping the Future

Late at night on Sunday 17th September 2023 the multi-Needle Langmuir Probe (m-NLP)  was successfully transferred to the Bartolomeo platform, marking the first experiment to use one of the 11 slots available on the service.

Bartolomeo
Bartolomeo

Over 8 slow hours Robotics Ground Controllers manouvered the Multi-Needle Langmuir Probe, a payload made in Norway to sample the in-situ space weather environment to an extraordinarily fine level of detail, into place. The first m-NLP measurements have already begun and data on the density of charged particles around Earth is being collected, thanks to its six probes taking measurements down to a one metre-scale and up to 5000 times a second –  a precision never achieved before.

Bartolomeo hosts first experiment in slot 3 of 11
Bartolomeo hosts first experiment in slot 3 of 11

The International Space Station has hosted around 370 European experiments over the last two decades. However, the demand for experiment slots far outstrips supply. Bartolomeo, mounted on the forward side of the Colombus laboratory, aims to bridge some of this gap by providing quick access to space, a high-speed data feed and a versatile design – meaning many different payloads or experiments can be accommodated.

Bartolomeo is one of four commercial platforms that provides opportunities for new technologies and experiments to be tested in space by flying onboard the International Space Station. GSTP Element 3 provides support to companies, academia and others interested in using these platforms.

Multi-Needle Langmuir probe
Multi-Needle Langmuir probe

The m-NLP mechanical and electrical interface were developed in the GSTP, while the instruments and the system environmental testing were covered by PRODEX ( PROgramme de Développement d'Expériences scientifiques); the cooperation between science and technologies has proven to be highly effective. ESA experts and facilities have discretely and effectively contributed to this success.