The experience built up over such a period represents a valuable asset to be actively used in future projects in order to avoid repeating previous mistakes.

Key activities in this area are:

• Gathering together lessons learnt from missions, from development through to operations phase, and concerning all aspects including spacecraft, payload, and programmatics
• Gathering of data on actual achieved performance versus design requirements for key instruments aboard ESA science missions
• Collection of instrument development data (engineering, management, cost)

The information available from previous science projects is stored in the directorate data management system to the benefit of future missions. This data allows us to make better judgments related to future mission studies and payload selection.

The Flight Model of the Planck Service Module. Credit: ESA

An example of these activities is represented by a preliminary study conducted on the potential application of recurring platforms to future science missions. The preliminary analysis uses the example of Herschel and Planck as a study case.