Description
A key role of ESA in telecommunications is to promote a significant level of R&D activities to ensure the readiness and competitiveness of European industry in the short and long term. ARTES Element 5 sub-element 5.1, short ARTES 5.1, is the Agency's main programme for preparatory development of satellite communications, and it covers the long-term R&D activities. ARTES 5.1 activities contain significant amount of industrial research and technical risk and are therefore fully funded. ARTES 5 is concerned with the early stages of development of systems and exploitation of new and promising technologies for satellite communications. In several cases the ARTES 5 activities are a continuation of a TRP activity. Within the TRP programme the components are developed and basic feasibility is demonstrated, whilst within ARTES 5, the equipment is developed to breadboard or engineering model level. The further development to a space qualified or industrialised product is supported within the co-funded ARTES 3-4 element. Through ARTES 5, ESA supports the exploitation of new technologies into equipment such that in the long-term the industry will be able to offer state-of-the-art equipment and systems at competitive prices. It encompasses activities related to the development of subsystems and equipment for satellite communications. The Workplan for 2015 specifically addresses Technology and Equipment activities in support of the activity lines defined in the Telecommunications Long Term Plan. The Workplan for 2015 has been coordinated with other ESA technology programmes. The activities are organised per application area with Ground Segment, System, and Space segment (Payload, Platform). In view of the increasing interest and demand of small satellite solutions in a number of areas related to satellite telecommunications, a dedicated topic in the payload area has been defined focused on the development of key communication building blocks for the effective implementation of telecommunications applications with Small Satellites. The planning in the document is a preliminary one. The actual up-to-date scheduling information will be available on the ARTES web site: http://artes.esa.int/artes-51/tenders
Tender Specifics