Projects

Megaconstellations:
Power Check Out System
Tele Command Ranging (TT&C Check Out System) Payload Test System

This project contributes to the development of some major evolutions of the Thales Alenia Space Mission Control Center (MCC) product line, SpaceOps.
This product line aims at offering Satcom Operators a comprehensive solution enabling them to benefit at best of their fleet resources while dealing with their increasing complexity, especially brought by latest VHTS and Flexible Payloads.

The objective of this activity is to investigate system solutions for next generation satellite-based low-cost M2M services able to support a very large number of nodes.

The proposed activities are to develop the IFM Micro 100, a 100W class electric propulsion thruster based on FEEP technology. It is an externally mounted thruster intended for orbit raising and station keeping of Small-Satellites. Within the project the performance of the thruster will be optimized and the manufacturing line to prepare the IFM Micro 100 series for Heritage Space Customers is getting improved.

The main objective of the project was to develop a laboratory model of an on board processor chain that could be used to validate the new algorithms. This laboratory model will be the baseline for new OBP generations, and will allow the procurement of qualified and flight models to potential satellite operators.

This activity supported ESA Telecommunications in the identification of opportunities and threats for satellite communications related to the Agenda Items of the World Radio Conference 2019 (WRC-19). A number of topics have been followed in more detail – such as the increasing spectrum requests from the mobile operator community. Positions have been defended at a number of regulatory meetings, in coordination with ESOA (EMEA Satellite Operator Association). The activity has contributed to a number of briefings to ARTES industry at ARTES public event.

The project aims at understanding how satellite technologies may affect the Communication, Navigation and Surveillance services for Air Traffic Management in the long-term. In particular, how they will interact with new challenges and what business cases may be generated through these technologies. For a set of promising cases, it develops a Cost-Benefit Analysis, to incentivise the development of satellite solutions.

The ARA Mk4 solar array is an evolution of the successful ARA Mk3, of which 69 flight models have been built (including its robust derivative ‘FRED’). Key feature is its versatility - both in terms of power (4-15 kW), of possible configurations (number of panels, dimensions, type of photovoltaics) and of mission applications (LEO, MEO, GEO, manned space, interplanetary).

The WIND Sequel project aims at enhancing the ST Engineering iDirect’s Dialog Platform® ground segment product and at developing features specifically targeting the Enterprise and Cellular Backhaul markets.

With upcoming technologies, new type of security threats will appear which require consideration now to develop the protection measures in time. Qritical identifies relevant use cases for the protection of European Critical infrastructure using space-based optical communication, specifically space-based quantum key distribution, and develops a communications security architecture with corresponding technical, operational and mission requirements.

Electric propulsion will be the next generation technology for raising communication satellites into geostationary orbit. This requires continuous power supply from the solar generator already during orbit raising. Thus, new powerful and lightweight solar generators are mandatory. They require a solar cell with highest end-of-life power and low weight.
The 4G32C developed in this contract is the first metamorphic (UMM) 4- junction solar cell featuring AZUR SPACE’s proprietary radiation-hardening design and reaching an EOL efficiency of 27.5%. By thinning the cells down to 90 μm substrate thickness, the 4G32C features a weight of
approx. 50 mg/cm² that corresponds to 60% of the mass of the current cell products.

Aim of the AISMAN project is to design, manufacture and test a miniaturized space array antenna suitable for SAT-AIS application.

Miniaturization is understood as a technique to reduce the size of the antenna in stowed configuration. Both techniques to reduce the physical dimensions of the single-element antenna and techniques to fold/deploy the final array antenna aperture have been considered.

After trade-offs at element and array level, a miniaturized antenna element, working at VHF frequencies and suitable for AIS applications, has been studied, designed, manufactured and extensively tested.

The design process has been refined and validated through experimental measurements, providing a valuable design tool for further antenna design steps.

The antenna element has been also tested in embedded array configuration, with inclusion of a satellite mock-up, and compliance to the array requirements has been demonstrated.

A parallel study on DBF techniques has been carried out.

An additional activity (CCN-01) has led to the design, manufacturing and full test (RF & thermal) of an improved antenna element, moving a step closer to flight model production.

The test outcomes show that the initial trade-offs could result in different element selection if driven by specific mission requirements. Such requirements can set different weights to the trade-off marking, driving the selection of the element accordingly. The flexibility of the element design allows accommodating this selection process.

A Design, Development and Test Plan has been prepared, considering non-recurring and recurring costs for a batch production of up to 30 FM items.

Demonstration of a 4N (0.9lbf) bipropellant reaction control thruster.

The hiSky project is focused on the development and demonstration of an advanced satellite communication system, tools and services models for voice, data and IoT communication. This allows the establishment of a fully functional Satellite Virtual Network Operator SVNO operation.

The objective of the Project is the development of a real-time TM/TC fleet operations command and control software system able to support the telemetry processing, display, archiving and commanding requirements of a very large satellite fleet system.

Market-driven challenges for improving the performance requirements of telecommunication satellites necessitate the development of innovative new technologies. Highly integrated RF modules combined with active antennas are gaining in importance. For these systems, new Transmit and Receive modules and integrated antenna concepts are in development within the A3M Project.

The aim of the project is to provide a full spectrum of L-Band Aeronautical SatCom systems to support cabin, cockpit and aircraft communication using the THURAYA satellite network in both its present constellation and planned future configuration.

An array fed reflector antenna, based on a passive multi-feed-per-beam architecture, enables the generation of shaped beams of different size, matching the particular shape of the areas they are designed to cover, thus improving the usable capacity of the overall system.
A very complex BFN is built as a single part exploiting additive manufacturing techniques.

This activity develops the necessary adaptations of 3GPP terrestrial radio access technologies with potential use in satellite communications. Examples of such technologies are modulations, forward error correction coding techniques, multiple access schemes and interference management techniques. The development of a combined hardware/software verification platform allows assessing their performance in a set of satellite related scenarios.

QKD4ECI aims at identifying problem areas in European critical infrastructure, where space-based optical communication technologies, and in particular Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) can provide improved security. The design, development and deployment of a respective communications security architecture with corresponding technical, operational and mission requirements has been addressed as well as the development of a roadmap for critical enabling technologies.

In the TB-Grid Project the design and manufacturing methods for the development of highly efficient tubular CFRP grid structures for space application have been developed. A Boom segments for a deployable antenna and a Central Tube for satellite support have been manufactured (patented winding process) and tested, demonstrating the outstanding weight efficiency, versatility and general performance of CFRP grid structures.

This project has developed and implemented a, exportable, secure, interference resilient satcom waveform for commercial and government markets.

The Telecommunication Satellite market is in front of a deep evolution induced by new standard of design, production and validation. These evolutions are directly inspired by what is applied on other aerospace, military or transportation sectors. The move from the classical GEO segment to LEO or MEO constellations bring series production inside the industry of satellites with possibility to increase automation and to raise productivity through digital transformation of factories.

The activity addresses advanced pre-compensation techniques for optical uplinks. It incorporates experimental test setups for verification in laboratory environment, as well as during outdoor test campaigns. In essence, it lays the foundation for the future product development of Synopta’s next generation adaptive optical ground stations (AOGS).

Low cost concentrator to enhance solar array performance.

Current Attitude and Orbit Determination Systems for geostationary satellites are typically based on Earth- and Sun-sensors, supplemented by gyros and ground stations for orbit determination. This trend, however, changed towards the increased use of star sensors as primary attitude sensors, which is a first step towards an APS based navigation sensor.

The objective of the NATALIA project is to realise a Ku-band antenna front-end which will be part of a mobile satellite terminal for automotive applications.

The World Radiocommunications Conferences (WRCs) are the organ of the ITU with the responsibility for amending the Radio Regulations. For this reason WRCs are of significant importance to the communications industry. ESA’s project within its ARTES-1 programme “Preparation of WRC-15 and Support to European Regulatory Activities” provided the opportunity for the ESA to support the general positioning of the European satellite industry to promote and safeguard the European interests on issues to be addressed at the WRC-15.

This study aimed at identifying the areas in where industry from the Czech Republic, Romania, Slovenia, Estonia, Hungary and Poland could participate in the ARTES programme. This study covered ground segment and space segment activities, as well as applications, taking into account the national space policy and industrial context in each country.

The main goal of this project is to select coating materials and technologies to increase the power conversion efficiency of III–V photovoltaic cells to be used in satellites. The final purpose is to demonstrate a performance increase at bare solar cell level of at least 0.5%, with respect to the competing current state of the art solutions.

The FOLC project is a technological phase in preparation to the development of a space-qualified optical communication chain, primarily intended for LEO satellite constellations feeder link but also applicable to GEO. The targeted capacity of the feeder link is 180Gbps data rate uplink and 120Gbps data rate downlink.

High-rate, flexible, command and monitoring payload computer for digital telecommunication payloads.

Due to customer requirements of smaller size, shorter lead times and more flexible frequency allocations, this work has targeted the Local Oscillator for the next generation of RUAG converter and receiver family. The goals in this project are lower recurring cost and shorter lead time than the current Local Oscillator.

The purpose of this activity is to identify new technologies and architectures of interest for payload output sections of geostationary telecommunication satellites, to retain the most promising solutions and propose associated roadmaps for their introduction by the industry of the participating countries on the commercial satellite market

The objective of this study is to implement and demonstrate, through live demonstration over a real GEO satellite, Multi-User Multiple Input Single Output (MU-MISO) digital signal processing techniques, namely precoding, in the Forward (FWD) link of a multi-beam satellite system operating in full frequency reuse (FFR). 
The study shall increase the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of precoding to 5.
 

The demand for high capacity satellites (broadcasting MSS, broadband) calls for higher capacity spacecraft. This translates into more power demanding payloads, with total DC power anticipated to exceed 30 kW during the coming decade. Regenerative fuel cell systems (RFCS) have been identified several years ago as a possible alternative to rechargeable batteries as a secondary source of power.

The innovative filter technology developed in this program is ground breaking as it in demonstrate an elegant and simple way of implementing lossy filter topology. The SAW correction element method has not been applied earlier, and the resulting solution is patent pending. Through this program, Kongsberg Space Electronics has demonstrated critical technology and design solutions to improve performance and considerably reduce the size of filters at S-band.

The project brings new features on the MDM6100 Broadcast Satellite Modem, on the MCX7000 Multi-Carrier Satellite Gateway and on the USS0202 Universal Redundancy Switch as part of Newtec continuous effort for state of the art products for the Broadcast market. It results in improved bandwidth efficiency, better management and IP network and redundancy support.

The On-board Signal Processing platform serves as a common core for a product family and is built around a highly integrated commercial SRAM-based FPGA. Each product within the family is customized by the development of mission- or market-specific signal processing firmware and RF front-ends. A primary application market is an advanced wideband modem within a communication terminal on-board a LEO satellite capable of inter-satellite data-link.

Following industry interest in modular cellular handsets, a small activity looked into the feasibility to develop a small satcom module which you instert into your modular handset.
A number of possible services were also investigated, such as LTE-M eMBMS broadcast services straight from satellite to the handset, or personal distress beacon as a module integrated in the handset.