At the European Space Tribology Laboratory, we deliver de-risking consultancy, bespoke testing, world-leading R&D, and high performance lubricant solutions for vacuum.
We advise on lubricant selection, verify vacuum performance of lubricants and mechanisms, diagnose anomalies, and provide confidence for clients in Europe and around the world.
Whether you’re an established space market player with ambitions to meet more demanding requirements or to be better at what you do, a recent entrant with a need for a wider range of support, or an SME working in space for the first time – the earlier we work together in your development, the sooner we can help you identify viable lubricant solutions that meet your mechanism goals.
Our facilities are your facilities. Our intelligence is your intelligence. Our vacuum test capabilities are unique, and optimised to the testing of spacecraft mechanisms, components and subsystems. We have the experience and capability to specify and execute your tests to exacting standards of process and quality control.
We partner closely with our clients to meet their needs in a timely and responsive manner, whether for a lubricant, a product development, a bespoke mechanism opportunity, or a lower-TRL proof of concept or test project.
Our dependable lubricant solutions are widely adopted. Our support is trusted, valued and appreciated by clients and agencies all around the world, both within the space and terrestrial vacuum sectors.
At the request of the European Space Agency (ESA), The European Space Tribology Laboratory (ESTL) has developed the Guidelines for Qualification of New Fluid Lubricants, providing a structured approach to the verification and validation data needed before a new oil or grease can be included in a spacecraft mechanism qualification campaign
ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) will make detailed observations of Jupiter and three of its largest icy moons: Ganymede, Callisto and Europa. The mission will investigate these moons as planetary bodies and potential environments capable of supporting life, while also providing new insights into Jupiter’s complex atmosphere, magnetosphere and surrounding system.
Hybrid lubrication is the application of a viscous fluid lubricant, typically a low-vapour-pressure oil, on top of a thin-film solid lubricant coating, most commonly sputtered molybdenum disulphide (MoS₂).
