Projects

SatCom-EASY aims to highly simplify system integration and service provisioning for IP via satellite services.
It combines and integrates performance enhancements and comprehensive supporting functionality in just a single software system.

This project´s objectives concerned the introduction of laser optical pumping to the well-established Rubidium (Rb) atomic clock technology, in view of replacing the lamp-pumped devices available today as compact frequency references.

The objective of the study was to develop the design of a Feed Cluster Housing Module (FCHM) for future Ka Band Single Feed Per Beam (SFPB) antenna programmes, which offers a step improvement in cost effectiveness relative to the current state of the art.

This activity focuses on the development, design, simulation, manufacturing and testing of a multichannel OMUX (Output Multiplexer) with an allowed input power of 500W or more for each channel.

The SC1000 Field Terminal project has the objective to improve the satellite based narrowband data services for mobile and static applications. The services address both high-end and medium-end trucks.

The objective of this project by Alcatel Alenia Space is the design, development and test of a Digital Transparent Processor based on an EQM model.

The project aim is to develop a platform for stabilising an antenna, which will lower the production price and offer higher performance than existing platforms.

This project set out to develop a Quadband mini helix TWT.
Initial applications include satellite news gathering, remote internet and disaster relief.
The TWT will cover the C, X, Ku and DBS frequency ranges and will be designed to be integrated into the existing 200W class of satellite communication uplink amplifiers, including the recently launched StellarMiniTM Amplifier.

The main objective of his project is to develop a set of new functions for the existing TCR transmitter product as requested by different customers.

The objective of this activity is to develop a complete 3D end-to-end manufacturing process for the production of lightweight, complex microwave passive components for telecom payloads. The process will be based on Selective Laser Melting (SLM), a generative rapid prototyping process.

The objective is to develop an extended tank (2900Kg of propellant per S/C), based on the current E3000 interfaces, in order to allow full CPS missions with extended lifetime/dry mass capabilities.

Astrium is currently developing a new generation of Plasmic Propulsion Equipments to enhance the capabilities of its existing Civil Telecommunications spacecraft platforms.

ESA's concept for an Integrated Space Technologies Operational System (ISTOS) Wide Area Network is designed to improve the utilisation of space technologies by end users working in the field of emergency management.

The objective of this project is to take a practical step forward towards satellite-delivered 3D TV at home. The scope encompasses an evaluation of the entire end to end chain, followed by a pilot trial where current technology and user experience will be assessed in depth.

The project covers the development, manufacturing and test of two types of Ka-band feed chains. The feed chains are assigned to work in a single feed per beam multi spot beam antenna. They are dual circularly polarized and combine Rx and Tx signals. One feed chain serves user and gateway applications, the other feed chain additionally provides RF sensing capability.

The main objectives of this R&D project were to develop, test and qualify DC/DC converters for RF equipment. It aimed to provide an integrated DCDC for RF solution compatible with a wide range of platforms given the wide input voltage range compatibility, as well as the input EMC approach consisting of applying the most stringent of the different EMC CE/CS requirements.

The project aims to define the architecture of a fully reconfigurable regenerative onboard processor (OBP), based on a reconfigurable technology available for space applications today. A safe communication protocol is also to be defined to transfer the reconfiguration data on the uplink RF channel.

The Horizon project focused on the development of specific products and solutions for the Primary Distribution of Digital Terrestrial TV (DTT) signals and to a lesser extent Mobile TV signals.

The objective of the DSL in the Sky project was to develop the new generation of Satcom solution, implementing the fully updated DVB-RCS / DVB-S2 standard, including advanced features such as Adaptative Coding & Modulation (ACM), Dynamic Rate Adjustment (DRA), or Satlabs QoS.

The purpose of the present development was to adapt to EADS Astrium needs (Eurostar 3000 P/F) the equipment already developed by Thales Alenia Space for their own platform. The developed RF equipment is dedicated to be used on EUROSTAR 3000 Platform (EADS Astrium) and has to operate with one or several Ka band beacons.

The objective of the study is to develop and verifiy new and competitive additions to the present set of S-band Omni Antennas. Saab sees a market demand for S-band wide coverage omni antennas which need to have adaptability of the radiation patterns as well as low NRE costs and short delivery times.

The objective of this study is to develop a Ku/Ka Tx/Rx feed system and to evaluate the achievable performances with a single horn combined with a complex exciter able to separate the following frequency bands, in dual polarizations.

In this activity concept filters and an O-Mux design will be developed to operate at 500W per channel. Comprehensive testing will validate the power handling and performance in a vacuum as well as at ambient pressure.

The ConeXpress - Orbital Life Extension Vehicle (CX-OLEV) presents the operators of geostationary communications satellites ("comsats") with a pioneering opportunity to extend the revenue-earning life of their space assets by up to 10 years.

The MPFL project objective is aimed to provide a European supply for equipment for a Single-Phase Mechanically Pumped Fluid Loop. The purpose of the project is to perform all design and development activities in order to qualify European single-phase cooling loop equipment (pump package, By-pass assembly, connectors and coolant fluid) that will be used within the @Bus single phase cooling loop system.

One of the key objectives of the J-ORTIGIA project was to evolve the receiver setup developed in the ORTIGIA framework in terms of performance, RF tuning, and alignment with the DVB-SH standard. Phase 1 encompasses a series of preliminary analysis and Phase 2 the integration of handheld mock-up and vehicular terminals.

The Hylas-1 Project is intended to serve as a pathfinder for a new generation of Ka-band communications satellites and services. The combination of advanced payload technologies and a range of innovative broadband service offerings will provide a unique opportunity to demonstrate and commercialise the potential of Ka-band communications systems.

Flexible antennas are becoming evermore attractive, since the recent developments in wearable computing have opened several possibilities to integrate wireless functions to clothing. The scope of this study is to demonstrate that flexible antennas are feasible in personal satellite communications.

The Electromagnetic Satellite Analysis Tool (ESAT) project aimed to create a software tool to analyze the radiated susceptibility of the payload to the electromagnetic field in the Communication Module. Leakages from RF units and electromagnetic fields generated by external antennas, which penetrate inside the Communication module through apertures in the satellite structure, are considered.

The Integrated Emergency Medicine Network (IEMN) seeks to develop, implement and test a multi-tier emergency service to serve as the basis of a province-wide emergency medicine network. IEMN provides the following emergency response capacities within Newfoundland and Labrador (Canada): giving rural and community health care services direct access to emergency medicine physicians and resources within a province-wide network (with real-time video consultation and medical data transfer facilities), allow continuous communications and patient data transfer
between emergency response staff and the emergency facility during an emergency situation, creating a mobile emergency response facility that can quickly be deployed to a disaster location to extend the facilities and capabilities of the IEMN to the emergency response
personnel.

The main goal of the ULISS project is to prepare the future payloads for Multimedia missions in Ka Band. The project aims to fulfil four main objectives, one of these being the implementation of a new concept called Radio Burst Switching (RBS).

Objective of the project is the development and the qualification of the Eurostar Antenna Tracking System (ATS) functional chain. This includes the architecture design, the system analysis, the control loop design, the FDIR strategy, the software implementation and validation.

The FOSAT project aims to demonstrate the potentials and benefits of fiber optic sensing technologies through a combination of analysis and testing. A demonstrator composed of satellite mockups, instrumented with fiber optic sensor, fiber optic harness and signal processing will be built and tested.

The MiniT provides Broadband Satcom at lower transmission cost with high installation and operation comfort.

Acknowledging the domains of excellence that the Chinese and Indian space industry has been able to build through ambitious space programmes, the study aims to better understand the background against which this success has been achieved. It will explore the industrial capabilities of China and India in satellite communication and navigation sectors.

The objective is to design, develop and test an Engineering Model of a Xenon Flow Meter with high accuracy across a wide flow range to provide a better prediction of the remaining propellant at mid-life than the current PVT method. A key issue is the severe physical property variation of the xenon over the operational pressure and temperature range, as the xenon can be in gas, liquid or supercritical phase.

In the STOLO project a prototype local oscillator will be developed, based on spintronics. By using a spin torque oscillator instead of classical technologies NanOsc introduces a disruptive technology that is bound to change satellite communication devices in the future.

The 2nd Generation DVB-RCS Standardization Support project aims at supporting the standardisation process for the Next Generation of the DVB Return Channel via Satellite standard, i.e, DVB-RCS-NG.

DIATOOL will be a stand-alone commercial program performing advanced electromagnetic processing of measured antenna data. It will read the measured field and compute the extreme near-field or the currents on the antenna surface, without the fundamental constraints of the traditional measurement systems.

The scope of the project was to study an innovative antenna solution able to provide entertainment services in an aeronautical mobile environment. The main requirement was a completely electronic scanning and polarization control on a hemispherical coverage. The
studied antenna was a conformal hemispherical array in which all the dual polarized radiating elements can be electronically controlled in amplitude and phase. To prove the feasibility of the proposed solution, a demonstrator has been designed manufactured and tested.