Funding
This page displays the ARTES Invitation To Tenders (ITTs) which are published on ESA-STAR. If you are looking for a specific element select from the list provided and click on the Apply button to start the search and display the results.
Funding of the individual Prime or subcontractors, for ARTES Core Competitiveness and ARTES Applications activities, is subject to authorisation of the required ARTES budget by the related National Delegations. Therefore, bidding teams are requested to inform their National Delegation(s) of their intention to participate in funded activities already before submitting a proposal.
The official information platform for providing potential bidders all the relevant documentation and details concerning the intended and issued Invitations To Tender (ITTs) for Open Competitions and Direct Negotiations is ESA-STAR - managed and operated by the ESA Procurement Department.
SATELLITE COMMUNICATION TEST-BED ON-BOARD THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION (ARTES AT 3A.118) (ON DELEGATION REQUEST)
Objective: The objective of this activity is to develop, deploy and operate a flexible software-defined radio communication testbedwith a frequency flexible RF front end on the International Space Station, supporting a wide range of frequencies up to Q/V band addressing 5G, signal processing and advanced techniques. Targeted Improvements: Enabling innovative and fast developments of future satcom applications from UHF to Q/V band that are diff…
SUN TOLERANT OPTICAL COMMUNICATION LINK ACQUISITION AND TRACKING (ARTES 4.0 SL SPL 5G.034)
Objective:The objective of this activity is to add a slow modulation scheme on a high-data rate optical link, so allow efficient daylight sun-background subtraction on the tracking sensor and allow more robust operation at small sun-spacecraft-angles.TargetedImprovements:50% higher link availability at small sun-spacecraft-angles (10 degrees).Description:With incoherent and coherent optical communication schemes the counter terminal needs to b…
WDM LASER SOURCES AT 1064NM (ARTES 4.0 SPL OPTICAL COMMUNICATION - SCYLIGHT 5F.018) - RE-ISSUE
Objective: The objective of the activity is to develop low noise and small footprint semiconductor laser diodes at 1064nm compatible with WDM operation and the associated low-power consumption driving electronics. The activity shall also investigate technologicaloptions to further reduce the footprint and the power consumption of the low-power section of an optical transmitter at 1064nm (e.g., integration of multiple lasers diodes, optical mod…
TURN KEY QUANTUM COMMUNICATION OPTICAL GROUND STATION CONTROLLER FOR SELF-SUFFICIENT STATIONS (ARTES 4.0 SL SPL 6B.111)
Objective:The objective of this activity is to design and develop a computer control system hardware prototype and its interfaces with every subsystem to provide a self-sufficient optical quantum communication ground stations interfacing with all subsystems without the need of technical supervision and without public internet connection.Targeted Improvements:- 50% cost reduction of OPEX cost of operational optical ground stations - Enabling no…
WDM HIGH-POWER OPTICAL AMPLIFIER AT 1064NM (ARTES 4.0 SPL OPTICAL COMMUNICATION - SCYLIGHT 5F.020)
Objective: The objective is to develop a high-power and high-efficient optical booster amplifier, compatible with WDM operation at 1064nm wavelength range. Two versions, with different output optical power and wall-plug efficiency requirements, are to be developed to address operation under space and ground environmental conditions. Targeted Improvements:Strategic component not available inESA's Member States nor in Cooperating/Associated…
Q/V BAND PHASED ARRAY ANTENNAS FOR GROUND TERMINALS (ARTES AT 7C.070) (ON DELEGATION REQUEST)
The objective of this activity is to develop and test a receive Q-band prototype, and a transmit V-band beamformer, both supporting2 beams scanning in a large field of view for the mobility market (e.g. aeroplanes, buses, trains). Targeted Improvements:Enabling technology for Q/V band user terminals for the mobility market (aeroplanes, buses, trains). Description:Today, terminal antennas are mainly exploiting the Ka- and the Ku-frequency bands…
ARTES 4.0 SPL OPTICAL COMMUNICATION - SCYLIGHT: SCINTILLATION MITIGATION TECHNIQUES BASED ON FEMTOSECOND PULSES FOR OPTICAL FEEDER UPLINKS (5G.014/SL.033) (ON DELEGATION REQUEST)
Objective:The objective of the activity is to develop scintillation mitigation techniques based on femtosecond pulses for optical feeder uplinks. Their performance will be experimentally verified using the fine acquisition sensor on Alphasat's laser communication terminal.Targeted Improvements:25dB link budget improvement under strong turbulence conditions.Description:The adoption of optical feeder links will largely depend on their abili…
LUNAR OPTICAL COMMUNICATION PHOTON COUNTING RECEIVER (ARTES 4.0 SL SPL 6C.018)
Objective: The objective of the activity is the development and testing of an receiver for lunar optical communication in a photon starved regime. Targeted Improvements: Photon-starved optical communications data and tracking receiver with 8 times increased bandwidth (1 ns versus 125 ps). Description: A photon-counting detector receiver package for free-space communications between a lunar satellite and Earth-based ground terminal does not exi…
WAVEFRONT SENSOR FOR OPERATION UNDER STRONG ATMOSPHERIC TURBULENCE (ARTES 4.0 SL SPL 6C.041)
Objective: This activity aims at investigating different wavefront sensor technologies in order to identify the best suited one foroperation under strong atmospheric turbulence conditions in optical communication applications. Targeted Improvements: 100% increased wavefront sensor performance under strong atmospheric turbulence conditions. Description: Optical beams propagating through the turbulent atmosphere undergo phase and amplitude fluct…
L-BAND GALLIUM NITRIDE LOW NOISE AMPLIFIER-BASED RF FRONT-END (ARTES AT 5C.465) (ON DELEGATION REQUEST)
The objective of the activity is to design a compact L-band RF front-end for telecom applications which is based on a GaN Low NoiseAmplifier (LNA). A breadboard of a GaN microwave monolithic integrated circuit will be developed and tested. The RF front-end including the filtering function shall be modelled.Targeted Improvements: up to 30% mass and volume saving of the RF front-end (LNA and filtering) and 20 dB improvement of the LNA dynamic ra…
DEVELOPMENT OF A SIMULATOR FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF ATMOSPHERIC SCINTILLATION AT OPTICAL FREQUENCIES (ARTES 4.0 SL SPL 6A.086) - EXPRO+
Objective: To develop a simulator of optical propagation based on a high-resolution numerical atmospheric simulator, to be used forthe long-term characterisation and the forecast of the signal scintillation and other propagation effects in the area around a ground terminal for Earth-Space optical communication system. Targeted Improvements: Breakthrough to achieve regional optical channel performance assessment; achieve high resolution channel…
MACHINE LEARNING ALGORITHMS FOR NETWORK MANAGEMENT IN OPTICAL SATELLITE CONSTELLATIONS (ARTES 4.0 SL SPL 6B.113) - EXPRO+
Objective: Design and development of software for network management in optical satellite constellation networks with machine learning techniques. The performance shall be benchmarked against solutions with classical network optimisation techniques.Targeted Improvements: 50% improvement in capacity utilisation while delivering guaranteed quality of service (QoS). Description:Satellite constellation networks with optical ISLs bring about the po…
PRECODING FOR LOW EARTH ORBIT SATELLITE SYSTEMS (ARTES AT 3C.027) (ON DELEGATION REQUEST) - EXPRO+
The objective of the activity is to develop precoding techniques for the forward link of multi-beam LEO satellite systems operatingin full frequency reuse. The activity will target the conventional single-satellite precoding, as well as precoding across adjacentsatellites having beams with overlapping footprints. The developed techniques will be implemented and tested in a software simulator able to assess the performance at both link level an…
EXTENSION OF ELECTRICAL POWER SYSTEM VOLTAGE TO 300V (ARTES AT 4F.146) (ON DELEGATION REQUEST)
The objective of the activity is to identify, design, manufacture and test critical technology and hardware elements needed for a high voltage electric power system (EPS) for high power telecom applications. This shall include typical primary and secondary DCDC converters and protection circuits (e.g. latching current limiters). Targeted Improvements:- Increase bus voltage up to > 300V, enabling direct drive for electric propulsion;- Reduce…
CRITICAL BREADBOARDING ENABLING THE REMOVAL OF FAILED SMALL SATELLITES FROM LOW EARTH ORBIT (ARTES AT 4A.085) (ON DELEGATION REQUEST)
The objective of the activity is to design, manufacture and test technologies enabling the removal of failed small satellites (e.g.tumbling) from low earth orbit. Several breadboards will be developed and tested to reduce tumbling and to enable rendezvous and capture.Targeted Improvements: Enabling de-orbiting of large constellations of low Earth orbit telecommunication satellites. Description: In the coming years it is expected that the numbe…
BATTERIES BASED ON EUROPEAN COMMERCIAL OF THE SHELF BATTERY CELL TECHNOLOGY (ARTES AT 4F.145) (ON DELEGATION REQUEST)
The objective of this activity is to develop, design, manufacture and test a battery with European Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) battery cells for telecom space applications. Targeted Improvements:- At least 20% mass reduction at battery level;- Enabling European independency and continuity of technology sourcing. Description: Current state-of-the-art space Li-Ion cell technology can provide around 180 Wh/kg, while Li-Ion COTS cell technolog…
PIONEER PARTNERSHIP PROJECTS (PIONEER 4.0) - OPEN CALL FOR PROPOSAL
The Pioneer programme, implemented under the ARTES 4.0 Generic Programme Line "Partnership Projects", aims to supports the emergence of Space Mission Providers (SMPs), i.e. commercial entities interested in becoming one-stop-shop service providers for public and private customers. The Open Call for proposals is aimed to offer the opportunity for new companies from across all ESA member statesto participate in the programme. It will b…
ANTENNA FOR UNIVERSAL SATELLITE-TERRESTRIAL 5G LAND MOBILE TERMINALS (ARTES SPL 5G 7C.061) (UPON DELEGATION REQUEST)
Upon Delegation Request (*) The objective of the activity is to develop and validate a mobile terminal antenna that supports satellite connectivity and terrestrial 5G. A prototype of the antenna will be manufactured and tested in a laboratory environment. Targeted Improvements: Terminal size, weight and power reduction (30 to 50%) achieved by integrating 5G satellite and terrestrial antenna systems.The integration of satellite communications…
MULTICAST OPTICAL HEAD UNIT (ARTES 4.0 SL SPL 5G.037)
Objective:The objective of the activity is to develop a space-based point to multipoint optical terminal.Targeted Improvements:The MOHU would reduce the number of required Optical Head Units by a factor greater than 2. The MOHU should target a mass and sizeless than x1.5 the mass and size of the combined individual Optical Head Units.Description:Today the implementation of simultaneous optical space to ground links (Optical Feeder Links) requi…
FREE-SPACE COHERENT OPTICAL LINK FOR TIME AND FREQUENCY TRANSFER (ARTES 4.0 SL SPL 5F.041)
Objective:The objective of the activity is to develop and prototype a free-space optical Frequency and Timing transfer solution over a coherent optical link optimised for the use case of linking critical infrastructure and metrology applications.Targeted Improvements:The two parameters to be improved over existing RF-based techniques are time and frequency transfer accuracy (factor 5 to 10 improvement), resistance to interference and robustnes…
ARTES 4.0 SPL OPTICAL COMMUNICATION - SCYLIGHT: INTEGRATED OPTICAL INTERFACES FOR RF PHASED ARRAY ANTENNAS (5F.013 / SL.030)
Objective:The objective of the activity is to analyse and demonstrate the benefits of replacing coaxial cables/waveguides with fibre optics in large RF phased array antennas. The activity shall identify the best technologies to be employed and it will design, manufacture and test 2 breadboard demonstrators covering both analogue and digital transmission.Targeted Improvements:Order of magnitude mass and volume reduction by substituting the pass…
BEAM FORMING CHIP FOR DIRECT RADIATING ARRAY ANTENNAS FOR W-BAND FEEDER LINKS (ARTES AT 5C.457) (ON DELEGATION REQUEST)
The objective of this activity is to design, manufacture and test an engineering model of a beam forming network chip to support direct radiating array antennas in W-band for future receive chain feeder links in ultra-high throughput satellite telecommunication payloads.Targeted Improvements: Enabling technology for reconfigurable antennas in W-band for ultra-high-throughput satellite feederlinks (at least 1 Tbit/s throughput) not existing tod…
FAST LOCKING FLANGE FOR WAVEGUIDE CONNECTIONS (ARTES AT 6B.094) (ON DELEGATION REQUEST)
The objective of this activity is to design, develop and test a device that will enable fast (almost instantaneous) connection of two waveguides eliminating need for laborious removal and reinstallation of numerous nuts and bolts from the waveguide flanges. The connection achieved with this assembly shall demonstrate high reliability both in mechanical and electrical aspects and minimise the risk of assembly error. Targeted Improvements:- 95%…
INTELLIGENT PLATFORM FOR CONSTELLATIONS (ARTES FPE 1B.140) - EXPRO+
To avoid a significant increase in operational expenditure future generations of communication satellites, especially those deployed as part of a large constellation, will need to incorporate a much greater level of operational autonomy. Such an advancement couldalso: help realise an increase in the complexity and hence capabilities of such constellations; move from failure-triggered replenishment and reconfiguration toward predictive maintena…
ARTES 4.0 SPL OPTICAL COMMUNICATION - SCYLIGHT: SPACE QUALIFIED FAINT PULSE LASER SOURCE FOR QUANTUM KEY DISTRIBUTION (5G.003/SL.012)(ON DELEGATION REQUEST)
Objective:The objective of the activity is to develop and qualify a faint pulse laser source for space-based quantum key distribution systems.Targeted Improvements:Increase the technical readiness level of faint pulse laser sources suitable for quantum key distribution applications from 5 to 7. Description:Quantum key distribution systems using protocols based on faint laser pulses require a photon source emitting less than one photon per puls…