ESA has recently filed worldwide patent applications for three inventions made by staff members and external inventors.
Mr. Lasseur of ESTEC, together with Messrs. Verstraete and Richalet, has invented a process of organic waste recycling by thermophilic and photosynthetic strains for producing edible biomass. The process is a"spin-off, from the MELISSA ecosystem designed by European industry for onboard waste processing on manned space missions.
Mr. Silvestrin of ESTEC, together with four persons from the University of Leeds, has invented a GNSS receiver for attitude determination comprising at least two antennas, one of which a reference antenna, a time multiplexer for antenna signal, and two signal processing chains.
Finally, Mr. Guglielmi of ESTEC and Mr. Gimeno, formerly of ESTEC, have invented a dual-mode circular waveguide filter which has an elliptical coupling iris. The advantage of this structure is that the filter does not require any tuning screws, nor any cross-shaped irises.
More about ESA patents and patent applications can be found in the catalogue of ESA Patents (ESA SP- 1 13 1, rev. 2). For information on all patent matters, please contact:
Mr. P.A. Kallenbach
Legal Affairs
ESA Head Office
8 - 10 rue Mario Nikis
75738 PARIS Cedex 15
France.
Preparing for the Future Vol. 7 No. 2