From lab to orbit
"ESA Discovery's support enabled me to perform the experimental and modelling work needed to validate the concepts, including vacuum testing and molecular flow simulations," says Pouzar. "Overall, it accelerated my research and helped translate it into results that are easier to transfer to the space mechanisms community and industry."
"Many space mechanisms need to function reliably for the entire duration of a mission, and lubricant loss is one of the key risks that may cause mechanism failure," says René Seiler, Senior Mechanisms Engineer and ESA lead on the project. "This research has given us a much better understanding of how labyrinth seal design choices translate into real sealing performance, and the results will make it easier for engineers to guarantee long-life lubrication and to design contamination control into mechanisms from the outset rather than discovering problems in the course of full-scale equipment tests or in-flight operation."
The project has produced four publications, including papers in Vacuum and Results in Engineering , and a presentation at the 21st European Space Mechanisms and Tribology Symposium (ESMATS) in 2025. Pouzar also sees commercial potential: the validated models could underpin a software tool allowing engineers to compare seal concepts early in the hardware development process and streamline the associated qualification effort.
The next step will be in-orbit validation. Brno University of Technology is contributing a labyrinth seal experiment to a 3U CubeSat mission led by the Czech Aerospace Research Centre, Spacemanic CZ, and Brno Observatory, with launch planned for late 2027. It is a fitting conclusion for a research project that began as a blue-sky idea submitted through ESA's Open Space Innovation Platform (OSIP) and was funded by the Discovery element of ESA's Basic Activities.