Under ESA’s Competitiveness & Growth programme, Airbus (Ottobrunn, D) is qualifying a new family of hybrid solar arrays that is capable to deliver approximately ≈ 50% more power in the same volume and with the same weight as previous generations. This new subsystem will be a key asset of the new Eurostar Neo platform, developed within ESA's Partnership Projects.

The Glaswegian-built nanosatellites join a fleet of about 100 objects in low Earth orbit that help to predict the movement of the world’s resources, so that businesses and governments can make informed decisions.

The two machine-learning capable satellites were launched on a Russian Soyuz launcher, alongside two further satellites that will be used to forger inter-satellite links. These connections allow satellites to act as relays, sending data to one another and down to ground stations, which cuts the time between data collection and its delivery to customers.

Telecommunications are becoming increasingly crucial to our society, economy and security. ESA is supporting the European satellite communication industry’s efforts to identify how to meet future worldwide demands for more secure and resilient digital systems.

Several thousand novel heat pipes are now being produced each year by Belgian company Euro Heat Pipes, following its participation in ESA’s Eurostar Neo Partnership Project. Working with satellite manufacturer Airbus, Eurostar Neo is dedicated to developing, qualifying and validating Airbus’ next-generation satellite platform for the core satellite communications market.

The telecommunications satellite developed under ESA’s SmallGEO Partnership Project has just passed three years of service in orbit. ESA initiated the SmallGEO Partnership Project in response to the market demand for smaller, lighter and more versatile geostationary telecommunications satellites.

The ESAIL microsatellite for tracking ships worldwide – developed under ESA’s Partnership Projects programme – has been launched aboard an Arianespace Vega from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. The launch took place at 02:51 BST (03:51 CEST) on 3 September.

After 12 years as director of Telecommunications and Integrated Applications (TIA) and 7 years as head of the European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications (ECSAT), Magali Vaissiere will be retiring from ESA at the end of August. during her time here, Magali has been instrumental in the formation of ECSAT and has led ESA’s initiatives supporting the competitiveness of European and Canadian industry in the worldwide commercial telecommunications market. this includes the development of new technologies and working practices, and the incorporation of space assets into new commercially sustainable products and services. 

How do you create a success story with a small company? Project SCouP demonstrates how a two-person team with the support of ESA’s ARTES Advanced Technology programme delivered a real-life ‘Scoop’ – creating a European first using shape memory alloy technology.

The ESA Council met today in its 290th session and took some important decisions regarding the Executive’s senior management.

ESA’s 22 Member States approved the Director General’s proposal to appoint Elodie Viau as Director for Telecommunications from 1 September 2020, succeeding the current director, Magali Vaissiere.

The role of telecoms in any emergency setting is fundamental and there is a growing demand for wireless broadband data transmission during crisis operations. ARTES Core Competitiveness have recently co-funded the project ‘Mobile Ad hoc NETworks (MANETs) with satellite access for public safety operations’ with German safety and security specialist IABG, to enhance MANET services using satellite access.