For planet earth and beyond
A telecommunications satellite that can be reprogrammed in-orbit, offering unprecedented mission reconfiguration capacity, has successfully passed its in-orbit acceptance review.
Four entrepreneurial small companies have won the chance to learn from senior figures at ESA and satellite manufacturer Thales Alenia Space, following an ESA-backed competition.
One of the largest telecommunications satellites ever built in Europe has been launched and is on its way to geostationary orbit.
This activity will study the implementation of spaceborne 5G regenerative functions in a 5G end-to-end system demonstration incorporating a space segment element. For that purpose, the activity will develop and demonstrate in orbit an experimental 5G g-NodeB (gNB) distributed between a regenerative payload and a satellite gateway for eMBB services. The experimental gNB will be based on the 5G New Radio Non-Terrestrial Network (NR-NTN) 3GPP standard.
This innovative opportunity allows for the exploration of an uncharted territory, which is beyond existing standards and will allow to better understand the challenges and benefits of the different possible regenerative architectures, contributing to the definition of the satellite functions in future releases of the 3GPP standards.
A game-changing system to keep big satellites cool has just been qualified.
ARTES FPE 1A.114
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is set to play a major role in the automation of future satcom systems, enabled by the significant advances in Machine Learning (ML) techniques of recent years. However, the computer processors that AI algorithms will run on have not developed at the same pace, potentially limiting, or delaying the benefits foreseen.
The Thematic Call, in line with ESA’s strategy and the Director General’s Agenda 2025, targets to boost commercialisation for a Digital and Green Europe, by fostering the development of digital technologies, products and applications targeted by the European Green Deal.
A free app that helps people explore the benefits of switching to an electric vehicle has launched. Released by UK company EV8 Technologies, the EV8 Switch app uses space data to log motorists’ journeys and then displays how much money could be saved by swapping their conventional car for an electric one.
Athletes who participated in an open-air mass sporting event had images of their sporting prowess sent to family and friends within seconds, thanks to a space-enabled app.
On 30 June 2021, the first-ever satellite with a W-band radio transmitter on board was launched. The objective of the mission, funded under the ARTES Advanced Technology programme, is to improve our understanding of the atmospheric effects in the propagation of radio signals at such a high frequency band. The mission’s success will help pave the way for future operational telecom services in W-band.