Determining and actively controlling the flight state of a spacecraft (position and attitude) is essential to successfully execute and complete space missions. Navigation and control systems are assigned to that task. They consist of sensors for detecting the flight state and actuators for affecting it, as well as data processing elements that perform the necessary navigation and control computations on board.

The mission of the Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC) Systems Department is to research and develop sensors, actuators, algorithms, simulations and on-board data processing systems for attitude and orbit control systems (AOCS) as well as guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) systems for space applications. We are focusing on analysing, designing, developing, implementing, simulating, testing, and verifying AOCS and GNC systems. This involves a range of disciplines, including requirements management, systems engineering, algorithm development, flight-software implementation, systems analysis/simulation/verification, and hardware-in-the-loop testing. Furthermore we are conducting research and development of promising and strategic technologies for AOCS and GNC systems.

Strongly connected to our projects we develop and maintain our own tools for design, development, and simulation of AOCS and GNC systems and operate hardware test laboratories which include dynamics simulators, configurable real-time test benches as well as sensor- and actuator-specific facilities.