Imagine a miraculous floating platform, levitating just 15 micrometers above Europe's flattest floor, gracefully gliding around a satellite model, all guided by cutting-edge AI technology. In a room cloaked in darkness, with only a single lamp mimicking the sun's glow, this transformative scene unfolds.

Meet Lorenzo Capra, a cutting-edge PhD researcher hailing from Politecnico di Milano. He's on a thrilling mission to test revolutionary software designed to optimize spacecraft trajectories.

"As the platform navigates its orbit around a satellite mock-up, a camera perched on top captures stunning images of its target. These images feed directly into my program, allowing it to reconstruct a detailed 3D model of the satellite," Lorenzo shares enthusiastically.

This remarkable technology is set to elevate the performance and autonomy of operations involving unfamiliar and uncooperative objects in space. Think about it: it could pave the way for future in-orbit servicing operations, extending the operational life of aging spacecraft through repairs or refueling.

To replicate the conditions of space as faithfully as possible, Lorenzo utilized the ORBIT facility at the European Space Agency's (ESA) technical epicenter, ESTEC.

In this high-tech lab, the atmosphere is engineered to reflect the profound darkness of space, with the only source of illumination emanating from a Sun simulation. The satellite model, carefully designed with real satellite materials like multi-layer insulation and communication antennas, captures and reflects this light to enhance realism.

ORBIT spans an impressive 43 square meters with a remarkably ultra-flat surface, where the height difference between the highest and lowest points isn’t even a millimeter.

The facility works like an air hockey table, utilizing air bearings to generate a stable air gap between the platforms and the floor, making the gap so fine it’s almost invisible. This ingenious design allows the platforms to glide effortlessly, mimicking the sensation of weightlessness in two dimensions.

Lorenzo’s trajectory-optimizing software directs the floating platform with precision, leveraging a system of thrusters and a reaction wheel to navigate just like a real spacecraft would.

Jules Noirant, an engineer at the Orbital Robotic Laboratory, highlights the significance of ORBIT, stating, "This unique setup allows industries and research institutions to rigorously test and validate new systems in a microgravity-simulating environment. From in-orbit payload interactions to various Attitude and Orbit Control Systems (AOCS), this facility shapes the future of space technology in a cost-effective manner, benefiting from our expert knowledge."

Brace yourselves, because the way we think about space missions is about to be revolutionized!