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High RF power levels are demanded to vacuum tubes amplifiers like TWT but this has the main disadvantage to use heated wires and bulky magnets or electromagnets. So, combined Solid State PA (SSPA) would be greatly appreciated if they could give at least the same order of magnitude in RF power levels, since in this case graceful degradation is increased.
Spatial power combining technique is certainly an alternative to combine many SSPA reducing to a minimum extent the combining losses. This is the RF technology utilized and optimized for the present project.
The project aims to qualify a new conduction cooled Ku-Band Traveling Wave Tube (TWT) in the frequency range from 10.7GHz to 12.75GHz for the power class between 140W and 170W. This TWT is cost optimized for production.
The 4SSTB is a state-of-the-art testbed supporting simulation and emulation of current and future telecommunication networks. Developed by an international consortium of specialists, this Software Defined Networking (SDN) testbed serves as a cornerstone for the development and validation of secure satellite communication systems and services.
Digital IF provides analogue to digital conversion (downlink) and digital to analogue Conversion (uplink) of the IF signals in satellite ground stations. This allows signal transport over the standard GbE network and therefore the physical decoupling of the antenna sites from data processing sites.
The study on "Feed Systems enabling Single Reflector Beam Hopping Antenna for High Throughput Satellite" presents a Multi-Beam Antenna (MBA) solution for flexible, high-efficiency RF performance over wide areas. It addresses V-HTS mission requirements, platform limitations, and innovative technologies like Mini-TWT and SSPA. Key drivers include enhanced MBA coverage, capacity, and efficiency through separated transmission and reception functions.
Optical inter-satellite links (OISLs) are a key enabler communication missions such as EDRS, mega-constellations and HydRON. The next generation of OISLs will reach the 100 Gbps mark and will require higher coding gains, achievable only by advanced decoding schemes. LOFEC-HDR looks at code designs that allow for practical onboard decoding of advanced FEC codes at very high speeds.
In this study, the pros and cons of digital control have been evaluated. A breadboard has been built and tests has demonstrated the potential future features that can be achieved with this technology
The new generation Optical Solar Reflector that combines the high performance and durability of quartz OSRs with the easy handling and flexibility of Ag-FEP second surface mirrors, at fair costs.
High aspect ratio satellites will combine experience gained over all satellite sizes and missions with innovative technologies to provide relevant solutions to an ever-evolving Communication market.
In this project Space Norway led a consortium together with Comrod AS and Kongsberg Discovery Seatex who designed and developed a RHCP VHF antenna. This antenna is used within the Satellite VHF Data Exchange System (VDES). The new antenna improves upon link quality and reduces multipath fading compared with the traditional vertical dipole antenna currently in use.
Figure 02 QFH antenna mounted on the railing of the Kongsberg vessel Ocean Space Lab. Credit: Nils Nygaard, Kongsberg Discovery Seatex.
The 6G LINO activity designs, develops, launches and operates a cube satellite mission where the satellite itself ensures the maximum flexibility to be used as an open laboratory for 5G-Advanced, and 6G applications. This includes all segments: space, ground, and user segment. With this mission a first set of use cases will already be implemented and tested.
This activity aims to develop a testbed that allows the demonstration of vehicle-to-everything (V2X) 5G applications over Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) and their integration with the existing 5G Terrestrial Networks.
The final goal is to increase the TRL of TN/NTN integrated 5G services for the automotive market.
This project aims at highlighting the implications of SHLVs on the Satcom industry and identify recommendations to leverage the capabilities of this upcoming class of commercial launch systems.
This feasibility study investigates concepts and associated challenges towards the development of a MMIC phased-array chipset for operation at D-band frequencies for future 5G/6G communication systems. The study encompasses evaluation of semiconductor technology, functional building block assessment and integration analysis including 3-D packaging with integrated antennas, flip-chip technology, hot-via integration, and integrated on-chip waveguide transitions.
The NTN-CPD (5G New Radio (NR) Non-Terrestrial Networks control plane demonstrator for NGSO constellations) project focuses on design, development and testing of an end-to-end system simulator called Nova to demonstrate the control plane procedures and signaling in NR standard. The implemented NR characteristics in the simulator are adapted to the peculiarities of Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) based on Non-Geo Stationary Satellite Systems.
The European FPGA Radiation hardened Architecture for Telecommunications (EUFRATE) project focused on improving the robustness of space communication payloads against radiation by implementing an innovative architecture based on multiple Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs). By leveraging the reconfigurability and redundancy of FPGA clusters, the project introduced effective radiation mitigation techniques, ensuring high system reliability, adaptability, and sustained performance in harsh space environments.
The INT-UQKD project, led by Starion Luxembourg S.A., aims to develop and validate an integrated satellite terrestrial end-to-end secure quantum key distribution (QKD) system for various security critical business applications. The project includes numerous demonstrations spanning globally across multiple continents.
The concurrent emergence of 5G and beyond 5G non-terrestrial networks, mega-constellations, software defined and repurposable satellite payloads and the concept of Multi-Layer Non-Terrestrial Networks (ML-NTN) clearly warrants an investigation and analysis of viable architectures with a potential to be eventually successful.
6G SmartSat – beyond 5G/6G networking architectures for multi-layered non-terrestrial networks and smart satellites furnishes the agency with the necessary insight and tools in the shape of a testbed for detailed investigations.
ViSAGE, Virtualized Software Ad-hoc Architectures for Ground (station) Equipment, is a cloud-native SatCom-as-a-Service platform, offering flexible and cost-efficient satellite communication integrated seamlessly with 5G core networks. Leveraging modular microservices and hardware-agnostic software modems, ViSAGE enables rapid deployment, automated orchestration, and dynamic reconfiguration of satellite communication resources on-demand.
Key highlights include:
Feeder Link Validation: Successfully demonstrated bidirectional IP communication over DVB-S2, fully integrated with Free5GC, and compliant with 3GPP 5G NTN standards.
Cloud-Native Design: Modular microservice architecture, deployed via AWS EKS, providing scalability, seamless updates, and minimised operational expenditure (OPEX).
Unified Management: Centralised control and monitoring through an intuitive web-based portal, ensuring simplified operations and security compliance across satellite and 5G domains.
Design and development of a data processing unit that harnesses neuromorphic and edge AI technologies for dynamic, high-throughput, real-time applications onboard telecommunications satellites.
Home users and companies need to transmit / receive high bit rate information and services with high availability and in a ubiquitous manner. At the same time the European Commission, which has proposed a challenging program that includes 100% coverage of users with aspeed of at least 30 Mbps by 2020. In SAT4NET we analyse the technical and economic feasibility of meeting such ambitious targets using the xDSL technology complemented by satellite as a supplementary service when the ground network performance is limited.
The future of the Satcoms industries and its technologies, materials, and processes offers many opportunities for supply chains from a broad range of sectors. Other industries may have already resolved challenges and developed solutions from which the satcom sector can benefit. This study identifies high potential technology transfer opportunities and develops a strategy to exploit a selected technology, whilst presenting several other viable concepts for further investigation post-project.
The aim of the study is to define an ambitious roadmap for payloads in the C/Ku-band core market in order to achieve a significant competitiveness improvement.
Development of network management software for satellite constellation networks with optical ISLs to achieve high-throughput and low-latency global communication. It addresses challenges in topology design, routing, and resource allocation, considering the dynamic and heterogeneous nature of satellite networks. The solution leverages machine learning to optimize performance, serving as a reference for future deployments.
Artificial Intelligence for satellite communications will impose new requirements on computer processors, which will have to support large workloads as efficiently in harsh environmental conditions. Neuromorphic processing (NP) is emerging as a bio-inspired solution to address pattern recognition tasks involving multiple, temporal signals and/or requiring continuous learning. The main merits of this technology are energy efficiency and on-device adaptability.
In this project the linearisation of the RF chain will be obtained through Digital predistortion (DPD) of the amplifier’s input signal.
Linearisation allows to reach better performances in transmission RF systems, in terms of efficiency and spurious components suppression.
This process has become the most common linearisation solution to address the trade-off between linearity and efficiency.
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.
Telecom satellite transponder specifications relating to transmission performances which may be overly stringent, and which could be relaxed, thereby reducing satellite overall cost and schedule.
The objective of the activity is to design, develop and test methodologies and algorithms supporting trade-off analysis, performance evaluation, and operational concept of large non-geostationary constellations for commercial and secure communications.
The methodologies and algorithms developed shall be applied and tested in a software simulation on a satellite constellation for commercial and secure services.
Constellation Operation Infrastructure (COPI) project co-funded by Spire and European Space Agency (ESA) and supported by Luxembourg Space Agency (LSA)
Through the Constellation OPeration Infrastructure (COPI) project, Spire has developed a web user interface (UI) that automates end-to-end satellite operations, removing the complexity of the underlying technology and processes to operate space assets. The UI allows users to connect directly with their satellites to task, schedule and monitor every aspect of their payload, data, fleet health and mission planning.
IDEAA has been conceived as a key project to increase Power Electronics competitiveness for Active Antennas, to offer better performances (flexibility, mass, volume and efficiency) and more competitive price.
Development of critical technologies that are needed for the implementation of VDE-SAT on small platforms such as cubesats or microsatellites, characterized with limited resources and system budget constraints.
With Direct to device satellite connectivity, 3GPP has opened up a whole new paradigm in mobile communication by introducing the NTN feature. It is expected to gain quickly market traction. Operators will need to decide on the architecture options available and which deployment models to use for this new ecosystem.
The aim of the project is to develop a power supply for Ka/Q/V-Band Solid State Power Amplifiers (SSPA) and associated technologies. The power supply should be modular, flexible and capable to function at high temperature.
The objective of project DOMUK (on the basis of the requirements defined in the ITT) is to develop compact and innovative high-power Output Demultiplexers (ODEMUX) for on-board satellite applications based on the ceramic-loaded resonators at Ku-band and Ka-band. Some breadboard (BB) models and two engineering model (EM) will be manufactured and experimentally verified to fully validate the proposed concepts. The target TRL is 5-6.
Analysis and selection of earth-qualified optical MUX/DEMUX devices, performances verification in facilities emulating typical space environment and robustness evaluation against harsh environments.
Optical Communications Systems are becoming a reality in the realm of small LEO platforms, implementing either inter-satellite or Direct‑to‑Earth links. This activity will develop an optical communication terminal based on a new paradigm, where a single electro-optical device performing motionless-optical beam steering replaces conventional multi-stage pointing system, which is also beneficial to the attitude control system of small satellites.
Development of 2W- and 4W-Class Ka-band (27 to 31 GHz) Packaged Power Amplifier, based on GaN European MMIC Technology, for Very Small Aperture Terminals (VSAT).
The project assessed the feasibility of high-aspect ratio (HAR) satellite designs, aimed at identifying possible use cases, advantages, and challenges. As part of the project, three HAR satellite designs have been conceptualised (SatCom, SAR, modular bus) and recommendations have been developed to further strengthen the industry in the uptake of this novel satellite concept.
