Projects

The study focuses on Lunar optical communications with the aim to:

1. investigate the communications scenarios and architecture for the cis-lunar region, also involving the Deep Space Gateway

2. perform a technical specification and preliminary design of the required optical terminals

3. perform a technology survey, identify the critical units and derive the technology roadmap.

The market for small satellites is currently booming on a global scale.

One of the capabilities that could allow telecommunications applications from a small satellite system is the Inter-Satellite Link. For such links High Gain Antennas are needed; BEAMSAT-2 Axially Displaced Ellipse (ADE) antenna represents one of the first
developments of a HGA for CubeSats at 60 GHz.

5G-LEO extends OpenAirInterfaceTM to support satellite systems in non-geostationary orbits. This extension implements a full 5G protocol stack (Release ≥16) for both the UE and the gNB. As a main outcome 5G-LEO provides a publicly available new version of the open source OAI software library with new features to support 5G LEO satellite communication networks.

The main objectives of the project consist of developing new solutions in terms of test techniques, instrumentation and methods in order to overcome the three critical difficulties facing the space industry for the testing of multi-beam antennas.

Development of the Onesat mechanical platform & propulsion systems, and a parallel technology development for Aquarius electrolysed water based propulsion technologies for future mission applications.

MRC100 brings new features to Newtec Dialog® as part of ST Engineering iDirect’s continuous effort to deliver efficient, high-performant, scalable, and secure products. One of the main features is the upgrade of the Mx-DMA MRC return link technology to support higher baud rates of up to 100 Mbaud.

The project also investigates the use of AI and ML in ACM, and the potential increase of satellite network sizes using virtual carriers in a physical wideband carrier.

MECANO ID takes a new step in its development for the supply of composite structures with the maturing of robotized products for SatCom in the frame of this ARTES Competitiveness and Growth co-funded activity. Three products are targeted: Hyperstable Composite Tubes for antennas and reflector arms, Composite Booms New Generation for deployable systems and One-Shot Struts for structural applications.

SCNE simulator enables the design of the future LEO satellite communication constellations, but also the study and assessment of protocol and algorithm performances ranging from low-speed data collection and mobile communications to broadband and broadcast services.

The project aims at designing a compact, robust and cost-effective two-axis-mirror tilting system based on piezoelectric actuation. Main scope of application is the utilization as beam guiding mechanism in optical intersatellite communication.

The objectives of the project were to add enhancements to an existing optimised LoRaWAN to satellite software stack for advanced LoRaWAN over Satellite features including compatibility with LoRaWAN cloud-based management tools (Third-party NOC, IoT Platforms), LoRaWAN COTS sensor integration interfaces (ThingNOC API) and LoRaWAN security standards (LoRaWAN 1.1. security, Downlink firmware updates).

A World Class data security System For Your IoT Infrastructure.

Irish Startup Tisalabs LTD, through the SecureSat Project protects Critical IoT Infrastructure through data encryption, device identity management and communication technology with ironclad security. Our system level security enables our customers to take advantage of satellite Communications to build IoT solutions at scale and with an Ironclad security by design. Devices connected through LoRa/LoRaWAN technology and Satellite communications can transmit data securely from devices to Cloud using our Gateway Software technology.

Facing an anticipated five-fold growth of the number of natural disaster events by 2050, ReSCUE consists of an end-to-end integrated System (terrestrial + satellite) able to support all relevant public safety / mission critical operations.

This study identified the key technical, programmatic and financial conditions under which critical European needs for connectivity could be addressed by an autonomous, secure, high-performance, resilient and accessible satcom system.

The NON-GEO 5GCBH technology project explores and de-risks 3 major technology domains related to multi-orbit ground segment Satcom systems:

• Seamless satellite handover mechanisms in constellations
• Flexible Payload interaction with ground segment
• Service orchestrated interaction with terrestrial networks

With the aim of contributing to cost reductions for EEE components in space, by employing methods, materials and techniques used for commercial and automotive industry, this activity covers assembly of the GR740 die in a suitable plastic package. An evaluation program demonstrating the capability to reach required environmental standards for SATCOM constellation programs is also included in the project activities.

Hybrid-ConneX, an Excelerate Technology-led consortium project combines a hardware platform (Hybrid Communications Module) and a fully-managed service (Hybrid Communications as a Service) which integrates High Throughput Satellite, WiFi and 4G/5G networks enabling Ambulances and Healthcare Pathways access to fast, secure, seamless and fully-optimised connectivity and Cloud services.

This program provides a beam-hopping system test bed for validating a ground-space synchronization mechanism (and other added value use cases) for HTS/VHTS transparent satellites. The project addresses the need for an efficient standards-based approach (integrating Mod/Demod prototypes based on DVB-S2x Annex E) validated in realistic conditions (payload breadboards + channel emulation) allowing prospective users to adopt BH techniques with confidence.

UK-based company Oxford Space Systems developed a highly scalable and modular deployable and steerable patch panel antenna array compatible with microsatellites. This technology development directly addresses the need for high- throughput systems for microsat platforms.

The project intends to study and design a broadband satellite system for RPAS communications using HAPS as a relay node. The activity considers the flight dynamics of RPAS and HAPS, and their constraints in terms of mass and power. The development includes the end-to-end link as well as physical, data link, and network layers. The project develops a system demonstrator to validate the concept.

Innovative design and Qualification of new fully European monopropellant 1N thruster developed specifically to out-perform existing flight-proven designs in terms of specific impulse, pulsing capability and longevity. Radical use of materials, catalyst loading, nozzle and injector design, filtering and fine particle control, etc. make this thruster a key player in the 1N chemical thruster market for satellite orbit control systems. ESA Qualification for NeoSat and Flex programmes have been completed to date (December 2021) and further planned delta-qualification of the MHT-1N fitted with the European Nammo CTV-D flow control valve for another European prime will take place in early 2022. Flight Model Thrusters are being supplied to fly on ESA Flex, Altius and Lunar Pathfinder missions together with other commercial programmes. Nammo are increasing production capability to meet growing demand for this high performance thruster.

The main objective of the WAKA project is to design, build, and test an Engineering Model of the RF line-up of a W to Ka-band frequency converter for future telecom payloads by using European or Canadian state-of-the-art MMIC technology.

PERSILS from Aerospacelab in Belgium is an inter-satellite link solution for persistent connectivity to LEO satellites. It consists of a Ku-band terminal that leverages existing assets in GEO to relay Telemetry and Telecommand data.

AAC Clyde Space, in collaboration with their partners, are working on a 3-year project as part of the European Space Agency (ESA) ARTES Pioneer partnership programme, developing an innovative satellite constellation service, including the manufacturing of 10 spacecraft. xSPANCION is transformational, laying the groundwork for AAC Clyde Space to provide space data and services quickly, at low cost, to organisations who are eager to harness the power of satellites to tackle problems on-earth.

The objective of SATNEX V is to study medium/long term directions of Space and Satellite Telecommunication Systems for any of the Commercial or Institutional applications that can be considered appealing to key players in the space technologies domain but that are still not mature enough for attracting industry or initiating dedicated ESA R&D activities.

ARTES3-4 High Power Solar Array program purpose is to develop a Solar Array product family with enhanced performances and competitiveness. The different Solar Array configurations – from 4 to 6 panels per wing, with Small or Large panel size - allow to fit with the power range of the new generation of full electric geostationary satellites (Spacebus NEO).

SCNE simulator enables the design of the future LEO satellite communication constellations, but also the study and assessment of protocol and algorithm performances ranging from low-speed data collection and mobile communications to broadband and broadcast services.

The objective of this activity is to establish a framework for soliciting calls for 5G Non-Terrestrial Network over-the-air demonstrations to increase the Technology Readiness Level (TRL), giving the necessary technical support, and, finally, disseminating the results. This would allow to set the basis for future operative implementations of space segment based 5G networks and their integration with Terrestrial Networks.

Romantica provides an Advanced Radio Resource Management software that fully exploits the new generation of VHTS payload flexibility (in terms of frequency, power, beam layout and position assessment). This approach means that this advanced RRM algorithms solution is able to optimize at the same time the system resource planning and the packet scheduling management.

Monitoring of radio frequency sources from satellites in space and from ground as well as geolocation of the identified sources.

The MSMO study lays on the upstream integration of telecommunication services with different space-based applications, aiming at identifying new end-user services which so far do not exist. What if the Star-Trackers of a telecom satellite had sufficient resolution to track space debris? What if, with the relay of a distress beacon in S&R operations, images of the area could be provided in near real time?

The aim of the activity is the study of a cost-effective on-board Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) geo-location solution, to be embarked on SATCOM satellites, with accuracy performance in the same order or better than the ones of state-of-the-art solutions.

The market need for high data-rate (Gbps-Tbps) laser satellite communication requires robust and cost-effective Pointing, Acquisition and Tracking (PAT).

PATROL aims to de-risk the technology required for PAT and Adaptive Optics (AO) in Laser Communications Terminals (LCT) control electronics subsystems.

The new product is a reusable building block for LCTs on ground and in airborne applications.

The MRC-SAT Project, featuring the introduction of technology advances in return access technology, extends similar advantages as the HRC Mx-DMA into the SOHO and consumer traffic environment.  A new improved architecture is based on a physical layer that has been prototyped and risk-mitigated in the Mx-SAT ARTES Programme.

The project aims at defining, designing and validating a machine-learning-based method for the detection of radio-frequency anomalies, and for the identification of the associated root causes. The main purpose is to accelerate the diagnostic activity of domain experts in their analysis throughout the whole development and test phases of an antenna system.

QUIC is a new encrypted-by-default Internet transport protocol that accelerates HTTP traffic and which has the intention to eventually replace TCP. The project objectives are to identify the root causes of any shortfalls in QUIC performance over satellite, influence and propose changes to the specification, and evaluate them using a real-time emulation test bed. The results of this work are contributed to the IETF.

The development of 3 types of equipment.

• C / X / Ku band FSS Downconverter Equipment

• C / X / Ku band FSS Upconverter Equipment

• MRO/DSP Clock Equipment

The frequency converter and MRO/ Clock technology developed can be used in realising down and up conversion pre and post digital processor and the master reference oscillator or clock for telecommunications payloads

The Flexible Compact Array (“FCA”) is new type of solar array that is currently being developed. It has an unprecedented performance in terms of stowed volume, mass in the high power spectrum (10 kW -  35 kW). To enable reliable deployment of the blanket, two types of mechanisms are developed and verified. A wing demonstrator is realized to enable full functional testing of these mechanisms.

This project deals with the development and qualification of the next generation of Digital Transparent Processor (DTP) based on 28nm ASIC and optical high speed serial links technologies. Such DTPs will be able to process up to 2500 MHz useful band per access and to present high modularity for offering total capacity compatible of applications ranging from FSS/BSS, HTS & V-HTS needs.

The project focuses on developing a simulator, for analyzing interference scenarios related to Non-geostationary (NGSO) satellite systems. The main objective of this simulator will be to test and validate satellite system designs, including mitigation techniques, against various interference scenarios in which NGSO constellations and/or GSO satellites operate, with the definition of interference mitigation strategies, aimed at enable the coexistence of different systems in the same frequency bands.

Countries located in tropical climates are particularly interested in satellite communication systems, because they can provide telecommunication services to vast regions without the need to install large and costly terrestrial networks. The operation of current satellite multimedia communication systems is moving to Ka-, Q/V- and W-band. However, those frequency bands are severely affected by the atmospheric propagation of electromagnetic waves.
The accuracy of atmospheric and channel models is critical for the design of satellite communication systems, with the actual performance of propagation models for higher frequencies in tropical regions still not being reliably assessed.

The climatic difference to moderate climate can affect several design propagation parameters, including gaseous, cloud and rain attenuation, sky noise emission, site diversity, fade duration and fade slope. The propagation models currently recommended by the ITU-R for global predictions are based on empirical assumptions and on the use of Earth Observation or Numerical Weather Prediction data that cannot provide the same resolution (both in time and space) and accuracy as achievable through direct measurements.

The propagation experiments at these bands are the base for developing accurate propagation models to improve the utilization of the propagation impairments mitigation techniques (PIMTs), such as uplink power control (UPC), adaptive coding and modulation (ACM) and link diversity, which require the knowledge of first and second order statistics of rain attenuation.
The propagation campaign presented in this activity aims to assess the accuracy of current prediction models with focus on rain attenuation and to improve the models for second order statistical parameters such as fade slope, fade duration and site diversity gain.