For planet earth and beyond
The Pacis 3 project – which is a partnership between the European Space Agency (ESA) and satellite operator Hisdesat – has taken a significant step forward in its progress to launch a SpainSat NG satellite. As part of the thermal hardware for the Pacis 3 active antennas, four Loop Heat Pipe Sub-Assemblies (LSA) have been delivered and integrated to the first satellite in Toulouse, France.
The European Space Agency (ESA) has launched a new partnership with an industrial consortium through a project called Smart-Connect, which aims to mitigate the challenges presented when existing telecommunication channels are disrupted during times of crisis – such as during wildfires and flooding.
The agenda for an ETSI event co-organised with the European Space Agency (ESA)’s Space for 5G/6G programme on integrating Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) into 6G systems, has been released and will allow for industry and academia to discuss the current state of play – and future – of connectivity beyond 5G. The free conference is scheduled to take place 3-4 April 2024 on the Sophia Antipolis technology park in southeast France.
The automotive sector is a key target area for future 5G systems, as new standards require the integration of mobile communications into vehicles. However, antennas providing seamless connectivity in vehicles are not yet available, due to many technological and commercial challenges, which cannot be addressed in isolation. Antennas for satellite-connected cars can be designed for various frequency bands (e.g., L-, S-, Ku- and/or Ka-Band), require compatibility with terrestrial and other satellite services (e.g., satellite radio and navigation) and must satisfy the requirements of the automotive market.
This activity will lead to the design of a class of low-profile and conformal antennas, following a holistic approach where all main stakeholders (i.e., antenna technology provider, car manufacturer, satellite/terrestrial operator) are involved in the antenna design. This includes aspects such as:
ESA’s Space for 5G/6G and Sustainable Connectivity Strategic Programme Line (SPL) has been set up to support the space sector to deliver cost effective technology solutions for 5G and 6G. The 5G/6G SPL provides funding for activities and projects aimed at the common strategic goal of supporting the digitalisation of business and society; this is conducted in coordination with related 5G/6G initiatives at European and national level in various Member States.
You can find more information here: Space for 5G | ESA TIA
This activity is an approved ARTES Space for 5G/6G Workplan activity with a total budget of 5M Euro and planned for release by Q4 2023. The Activity appears in the Workplan 2023 (Ref. 7C.084, 5G automotive antenna prototype and demonstration).
ESA will release the open competitive Invitation to Tender (ITT). Eligibility will be restricted to any company and/or organisation, public body, or non-governmental organisation, residing in any of the participating states: Austria, Belgium, Canada, Switzerland, Germany, Greece, Spain, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, United Kingdom.
Responding to an open competitive Invitation to Tender (ITT) requires the submission of a Proposal. The Proposal will be evaluated according to ESA regulations and procedures.
The consequential evaluation of proposals results in a recommendation for a winning bid. In the event that several proposals of good quality targeting different and/or complementary aspects are submitted, ESA reserves the right to place parallel contracts for each of the open competitive ITTs in coordination with the relevant national delegations.
Your tender must be submitted in electronic format only via esa-star tendering [see: https://esastar.sso.esa.int/]
ARTES 4.0 CC Summary Flyer
ARTES 4.0 Core Competitiveness: An Overview (presentation)
ARTES 5G Specific Programme Line
ARTES 4.0 Work Plan
With the current large growth for space-based services, now is the right time, more than ever, to further support
the emergence of new European and Canadian Space Mission Providers, lowering the barriers for entry into space markets and attracting new entrepreneurs.
The objective of Pioneer Partnership Projects is to facilitate the emergence of new Space Mission Providers offering a one-stop-shop for customers wishing to demonstrate innovative space solutions. The projects are targeted at affordable and timely access to space, lowering the barriers for demonstration of innovative services, and include one or more in-orbit validation missions to demonstrate and showcase the service.
Companies who are interested to join the Pioneer Programme are encouraged to access the Tender Action Package (reference 4-40011) on esa-star. The tendering process will follow a two-step approach with companies first submitting an outline proposal for evaluation by the Agency before progressing to the full proposal stage. Any questions on the Pioneer Call for Proposals can be addressed to the following dedicated email address: Pioneer_CfP@esa.int
Seven Pioneer Partnership Projects have already been contracted with companies from four different Member States. From these projects, twenty spacecraft have already been launched, with one planned in 2023 and seven more planned in 2024/25, demonstrating the high interest and effectiveness of the Pioneer Partnership Projects programme.
Pioneer Partnership Projects is part of ESA’s Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES) 4.0. For more information go to: https://connectivity.esa.int/pioneer.
esa-star reference links: 918 & 919
Over the years, private initiatives led by new or established actors and aimed at developing end-to-end communication services addressing specific needs of institutional actors or regulated economic sectors have emerged in Europe and Canada.
Examples of targeted missions and systems include (but are not limited to):
To satisfy the target customers, these services shall comply with specific security, resilience and/or sovereignty requirements.
This new Space Systems for Safety and Security (4S) opportunity aims to foster the development by European and Canadian private actors of such satellite communications mission, systems and technologies.
SYSTEM STUDIES FOR END-TO-END SATCOM SOLUTIONS
Industry is invited to submit proposals for system studies aimed at consolidating end-to-end satellite communications missions and system concepts aimed at serving applications with security, safety and/or sovereignty requirements, and preparing the following development and deployment steps.
TECHNOLOGIES AND PRODUCTS FOR SECURE AND RESILIENT SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS
Industry is invited to submit proposals for initiating early development of technologies and products critical to the development of infrastructures providing satellite communication services for applications with safety, security and/or sovereignty requirements, and/or to enhance security and resilience of satcom systems and products (e.g. cybersecurity products for satcom systems, anti-jamming techniques, secure routing for resilient space-based communication).
Any development in the areas of ground, space and system are considered.
We offer funding and technical support to companies for system studies and development of technologies and products addressing the key areas outlined above.
ESA support will be based on a co-funding scheme where the funding levels will take into consideration product maturity and the risks involved.
This call is open to Industry within ESA Member States participating in the 4S Strategic Programme Line, namely: Austria (AT), Belgium (BE), Canada (CA), Czech Republic (CZ), Denmark (DK), Estonia (EE), Finland (FI), France (FR), Germany (DE), Greece (GR), Hungary (HU), Ireland (IE), Italy (IT), Luxembourg (LU), the Netherlands (NL), Norway (NO), Poland (PL), Portugal (PT), Romania (RO), Spain (ES), Switzerland (CH), and the United Kingdom (UK).
There are two steps involved in applying to this call:
1. Outline Proposal: the first step is the submission of an Outline Proposal. Outline Proposals can be submitted any time during the opening period, and will be assessed promptly by ESA.
2. Full Proposal: Following notification from ESA on the acceptance of the Outline Proposal, the Tenderer may decide to prepare a Full Proposal using the provided template. Only Full Proposals supported with a “Letter(s) of Authorisation of Funding” (AOF) from National Delegations covering the Full Proposal will be admitted for evaluation. The Full Proposals shall be delivered via “esa-star.”
Companies interested in proposing a project are strongly advised to contact their national delegations in advance to start the process of obtaining an Authorisation of Funding.
In addition, interested parties are advised to start the registration of their team on esa-star as soon as possible as it may take some time. If a team is made up of more than one company or organisation, each member will need to register.
For more information download the 4S initiatives documentation under the relevant focus area and view the presentation from our webinar.
The funding opportunity has been extended for a further year, closing in February 2026.
A webinar took place on 19 March at 11:00 CET. You can view the presentation below.
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Status date: April 22 2024
The close of Mobile World Congress, MWC Barcelona for short, has been hailed as a huge success by the engineers of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Space for 5G/6G programme line and the global mobile innovation organisation, GSMA – not just for the future of connectivity but also in the interactions garnered from an over-one-hundred-thousand-visitor-strong audience, one of which included His Majesty the King of Spain, Felipe VI.
