The objective of this activity is to design a TV, radio and data distribution network via satellite using DVB Native IP. An end-to-end (source to consumer) test-bed will be developed to adopt the standard for satellite and produce implementation guidelines for DVB Native IP over satellite. Verification activities will include content delivery and content security, as the specification becomes available from DVB. Targeted Improvements:Enable th…

Objective: The objective of the activity is to trade-off alternative, energy efficient and low carbon footprint heating technologies for use in gateway Earth stations, and to design and develop a de-icing system prototype. The focus and the main benefits are expected for higher frequency antennas (e.g Ka, Q/V, W band). Targeted Improvements: 50% reduction of energy consumptionDescription: Incold environments, snow, frost, or ice can cause link…

Objective: The objective of the activity is to develop a space centric framework for cyber information exchange, a threat and vulnerability assessment tool, and sets of reference security blueprints for future product implementations. Targeted Improvements: The immense majority of attacks use known security breaches: this framework will help defuse at least 85% of common attacks. Description: There is a growing need to increase the cyber resil…

This activity focuses on the development of a payload testbed to evaluate performance of secure communication functions . This enables the study of the most critical interference scenarios and identification of countermeasures to validate the payload performance prior to the launch of the full constellation. Therefore, the testbed shall be representative of the subsystems of the LEO payload with microwave equipment for signal reception/routing…

Description of the activity: This activity is part of the IRIS technology development. IRIS is an innovative multi-orbital space-based connectivity system, that aims at offering reliable, secure, and cost-effective communications services. IRIS objective is the provision of commercial services by the private sector, by allowing the availability of high-speed broadband and seamless connectivity throughout Europe, removing dead zones. Moreover,…

The objective of this activity is to develop a concept of a high-power output Butler matrix with integrated filtering transfer functions for multiport power amplifiers. The concept will be implemented and experimentally tested (including high power testing) in anengineering model with critical functions in Q, Ka or Ku band.Targeted Improvements:- 30% mass and size reduction.- Number of parts reduced of a factor 3.Description: Advanced telecomm…

The objective of the activity is to develop and test user and feeder link management techniques such as dynamic and adaptive data rate loops, flow control, link margin management and distortion mitigation techniques for regenerative broadband Low Earth Orbit (LEO) constellations. The techniques will be implemented, and their performance assessed in a test-bed consisting of a scaled regenerative onboard processor (OBP).Targeted Improvements:- F…

The objective of the activity is to develop and test an engineering breadboard of a satcom access/backhaul node capable of responding to changing link conditions facilitated by reconfigurable, regenerative, and software-defined payloads. The activity will also provide the system demonstrator to test the breadboard and to assess the performance in a laboratory environment.Targeted Improvements: Adding flexibility to integrated satcom nodes need…

In the characterisation and validation of multibeam antennas and payloads for secure connectivity applications, several beams with various pattern characteristics and frequencies need to be measured contemporarily. In this respect, Near Field techniques allow saving significant time and cost on the testing and verification phases as with one single scan, any angular resolution can be achievedfor the far field characterization using Near Field…

Communications using mega constellations in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) are becoming more attractive. However, the introduction of different technologies such as Intersatellite Link (ISL), the increased number of satellites, gateways and ground station can increase thecommunication and design complexity, especially when security of the communications has also to be considered. The objective of theactivity is to develop a testbed simulator with the f…

Objective: To develop technologies and to demonstrate a reliable optical communication uplink from an optical ground station to a satellite in low Earth orbit.Targeted Improvements: First ever demonstration that reliable optical feeder uplinks to telecommunication satellites in LEO are feasible. Description: Optical communication promises the possibility to transmit virtually unlimited amounts of data from optical ground stations (OGS) to futu…

The objective of the activity is to design, manufacture and test a distributed, scalable antenna on glass to provide satellite services to cars. Targeted Improvements: Reduction of antenna form factor from a protruding antenna (e.g. shark fin shape) to planar antenna integrated on glass. Description: Today there is a growing interest to offer connectivity services via satellite to cars. Current car design trends lean towards the extensive use…

The European Union has recently issued a call for tender for the Secure Connectivity Programme, aiming at deploying an EU satellite constellation: IRIS' (Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite). With its Programme Related to EU Secure Connectivity, the Agency aims to contribute to the development and validation activities of the EU Secure Connectivity governmental infrastructure providing Hard Gov ser…

The objective of the activity is to design, develop and test an advanced anti-jamming concept for frequency hopping waveforms, using sensing and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to predict and mitigate more efficiently the effects of narrowband jamming. Targeted improvements: Improve by a factor of at least 2 the anti-jamming performance (i.e. fraction of time in the channel without being jammed). Description: Governmental communications require t…

The objective of the activity is to design, manufacture and test a Ku- or Ka-band transmit or receive antenna based on reconfigurable actuators for large mobile terminals connected to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites.Targeted Improvements:Enabling reconfigurable terminal antennas with scan angles up to 50-60 degrees exploiting active actuators like pin or varactor diodes, MEMS and other possible actuators with an overall antenna thickness belo…

The objective of this activity is to develop and test a critical function controller for On-Board Computers (OBC) for new space, Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) components-based missions. A reusable IP core will be developed that will be able to perform critical OBC functions, such as provide communication with ground stations, allow ground control access for deorbiting and act as a controller for the main OBC, thus increasing overall reliabil…

The objective of the activity is to design, manufacture and test low-loss W-band RF passive equipment (filters, multiplexers and transmission lines) for future very high throughput telecommunication payloads. Targeted Improvements: Enabling technology for W-band payloads. Description: W-band has the potential to provide the feeder link capacity needed for future Very High Throughput Satellites (VHTS). The frequency allocation for this band all…

The objective of the activity is to develop and test physical layer techniques that mitigate the impact of the communication channel impairments on the performance of NGSO interactive broadband systems that use 3GPP 5G New Radio and DVB-based air interfaces. The end-to-end performance improvement achieved with the developed techniques will be evaluated in a software-based testbed to be developed as part of the activity. Targeted Improvements:E…

The objective of the activity is to design a robust and securely deployable multiband antenna, combining RF signals of EPIRB and AIS, for maritime distress signalling via satellite, location identification and tracking. A full scale breadboard shall be built and tested in a relevant environment to verify its RF performance. Targeted Improvements:3dB improvement of the RF satellite link, multiband capability (121, 162, 406 MHz), more compact an…

The objective of the activity is to design, manufacture and test a prototype of an on-board timing equipment for secure communications.Targeted Improvements:Enabling secure communications thanks to high accuracy and resilient timing synchronisation (sub micro seconds).Description:Governmental communications make use of secured waveforms, which implement modern techniques like frequency hopping or direct sequence spread spectrum, and require a…

The objective is to design, build and test an in-orbit test bed, comprising an RF receiver/transmitter, Artificial Intelligence (AI) hardware and associated signal processing algorithms, for the reception of low power random access protocol signals using artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms that can either be trained on the ground or self-trained in orbit. The in-orbit test will apply and refine these algorithms in the real-…

The objective of this activity is to design, implement and test a cloud based beamformer compatible to Digital IF open standards. Targeted Improvements: Enabling cloud-based beam forming capabilities as virtual network functions compatible to Digital IF Open Standards. Description: Virtualisation of the satellite ground segment is evolving at a high pace. In the last few years, we have been experiencing a transition from legacy hardware ground…

The objective of the activity is to design, manufacture and test surface mount chip inductors enabling low voltage (down to 0.8 V range) stability, fast transient response, high-speed switching capability and efficient power conversion of point of load(POL) converters, as needed for next generation digital integrated circuits in telecommunication satellites.Targeted Improvements:- Enablinga European source.- 20% mass and volume reduction and 2…

The objectives of the activity are to identify the needs and requirements for new security assessment capabilities for satcom systems and their components, define related architectural solutions and develop prototypes of the main components of these capabilities.Targeted Improvements: Enabling testing, verification and validation of advanced technologies in the domain of cybersecurity, modern telecom and quantum security (Quantum Key Distribut…

The Objective of this activity is to study the performance and identify potential benefits of installing optical communication infrastructure in Nordic countries.Targeted Improvements: Significant reduction in the required number of optical ground stations in anetwork by adding Nordic locations.Description: Most radio frequency ground stations for data retrieval from satellites in sun-synchronous Earth orbits are located close to the North pol…