Due to this shift in support, the name of the group has changed slightly to the Satellite Communication Network of Experts.
The primary goal of SatNEx under EU sponsorship was to achieve long-lasting integration of the European research in satellite communications and to develop a common base of knowledge. SatNEx was formed in 2004 by 22 partner research organisations and universities with the support of the EU FP6 programme as one of several new networks of excellence (NoE). Having successfully completed its initial stage, funding was renewed by the EU in 2006 to continue with SatNEx II, with 24 partners from 10 countries up to March 2009. During this period, the European Commission has invested close to EUR6 million in the creation and development of this unique assembly of European satcom experts.
Apart from establishing a critical mass of research effort in satellite communications in Europe, SatNex has established an annual summer school for new researchers. Five sessions have taken place and a fifth is planned for 2010. The summer school provides a comprehensive programme of advanced technical and scientific lectures which cover specific areas in satellite communications. The school is hosted at a different venue every year. Last year’s school was hosted by the University of Salzburg. SatNEx has also sponsored and coordinated six satellite conferences with SatNEx sessions and special PhD student sessions, has produced 46 journal and 167 conference papers (in the 2nd project phase) as well as four books, and has provided inputs to standards bodies as well as participated in forming standards.
The third stage of SatNEx, SatNEx III, will continue with the support of ESA with a more focused approach. SatNEx III is comprised of 17 European research organisations and universities. The German Aerospace Center, Institute of Communications and Navigation, DLR, (DE) lead the team with the close support of the University of Surrey, Centre for Communication Systems Research, UniS, (GB) and the Università di Bologna, DEIS, UoB,(IT). In addition to a number of horizontal network activities, each year ESA will activate a number of specific advanced research areas.
“SatNEx can play a very important role in supporting the ESA TIA directorate in exploring new satcom techniques and selecting the right avenues for research and development (R&D) workplans such as we have in the ESA’s Technology Research Program (TRP), ARTES 1 and ARTES 5.1,” explains Mr. Manfred Wittig, Head of the Multimedia Systems Section of ESA's TIA directorate. “SatNEx can also support ESA in technical actions related to satcom standardisation.”
“SatNEx is playing a pivotal role in forming new young professionals for satcom and can also be instrumental in providing new talents to be recruited by ESA or space industry,” said Mr. Riccardo De Gaudenzi, Head of the RF Payload Systems division in ESA's Technical Directorate. "SatNEx will also keep us informed about new technical trends in the terrestrial wireless field which can be of relevance to space applications."
The ESA- funded SatNEx Network of Experts continuation has been charged with several tasks including the exploration of techniques for supporting Terabit/s satellites, hybrid space/ground signal processing techniques and exploring new version of network protocols for satellite communications.
For more information, visit the SatNEx website or see the links in the column to the right.
