The limitations of mechanical pressure and flow regulation as used in heritage spacecraft propulsion systems, have had to be accepted together with their inherent limited capabilities simply due to the fact that fully proportional control has, until this point, not been technically possible. The Nammo Electronic Pressure Regulator system developed under this keystone ARTES 5.1 programme has enabled a step change to provide infinitely variable flow and pressure regulation at competitive cost to all spacecraft propulsion systems.

Project LightBar develops a communications-enabled lightbar that provides seamless hybrid communications for extended coverage, data reach and performance capability for emergency services and civil markets such as construction and utilities. The enhanced lightbar design is lightweight, low cost, low profile, small form factor and modular with a flexible design that provides: hybrid connectivity, satellite and cellular bonding, and resilient positioning.

The EPJT project develops modular technologies for cost efficient space propulsion mechanism. Key-elements are a light and robust geared actuator, high-load carrying ball joints, a modular harness routing system across the mechanism.

SDR Makerspace is an initiative of the European Space Agency and Libre Space Foundation bringing together makers, open-source hackers, radio amateurs, researchers, from all over Greece and provide funding, resources, and a passionate community tackling together challenges in using Software Defined Radio for space communications, opening up space communications development to a wide variety of people, organizations and companies.

The development and testing of a prototype of an analog IF over digital IF acquisition/generation demonstrator for instantaneous signal bandwidth up to 5GHz, together with a set of data compression techniques to minimize the digital data rate required to transmit a given analog IF bandwidth over a terrestrial network, optimized for a selected couple of scenarios.

In this program, two replacement subunits of the LCT were developed and qualified. The units are the Fame Unit Structure (FUS) and the Telescope Unit (TLU). These units replace previous units and have to comply with the existing LCT design. This development took into account experience gained from the previous designs and handling to achieve a robust design and decrease overall cost of LCT while maintaining the known performance requirements.
TLU and FUS have significant influence on the LCT mechanical design. Therefore, a LCT mechanical demonstrator (LMD) was built to qualify the required mechanical loads.

The project MLSAT investigates the applicability of machine learning or in general, artificial intelligence techniques in the context of satellite communications. Potential machine learning (ML) use cases in the field of satellite communications are identified and proof-of-concepts (PoC) are demonstrated for selected scenarios.

Astro- und Feinwerktechnik Adlershof GmbH intendeds to enter new markets with its new state-of-the-art High Momentum Wheel RW6000. The smart reaction wheel provides a 100 Nms momentum capacity and an output torque of 0.2 Nm. Furthermore, it offers a digital interface with an embedded closed loop controller for higher accuracy and torque stability.

Since satellite operators aim for more bandwidth to increase data throughput and capacity new system and payload concepts are required, leading also to the demand for new equipment. One promising option to increase capacity for HTS systems is moving the feeder link from Ka-band to Q/V-band. The focus of this activity targets the development of Q-band linearisers.

On-board handling of higher-layer protocols via an ad-hoc router device makes it possible to provide satellite connectivity completely by-passing the (possibly) clogged/compromised terrestrial infrastructure, to facilitate IP mobility, to reduce traffic load on satellite uplinks by deploying IP multicasting on board the satellite, and to provide true packet-by-packet end-to-end connectivity between satellite terminals in meshed configuration or ISL environment.

Low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellites are flying in an altitude between 200km and 2000km above Earth and hence are limited in the amount of time they are visible to a ground station (typically around 20 minutes). This is limiting the amount of data that can be exchanged. However if the data is relayed to a geosynchronous-Earth-orbit (GEO) satellite, the available LEO satellite data transmission time (and amount of data) can be drastically increased.

This project covers the design and the development of the link and network layer mechanisms required to support end-to-end unicast data connectivity over inter-satellite links in small satellite constellation networks. SPIDER stands for Small Platform Inter-satellite Data Exchange Routes, being an obvious reference to the spider’s ability to create webs, which is precisely the purpose of this project.

Qualification of 150W C-Band RC and CC Traveling Wave Tubes

Development of a 3 axis arm supporting GIE thruster.

Mx-SAT is a C&G Technology project that covers research tracks on efficiency and scalability improvements for the Newtec Dialog® system containing the platform and terminals. The Newtec Dialog® platform is a multiservice satellite communications platform that allows satellite service providers to build and adapt their network easily as their business grows.

SatNEx IV activities aim to study medium/long term directions of satellite telecommunication systems for any of the commercial or institutional applications that can be considered appealing by key players but still not mature enough for attracting industry or initiating dedicated ESA R&D activities.

This technology phase study aims to develop the Thales Alenia Space generic and highly competitive avionics product for future satellite platforms. It includes OBC-core unit with the rad-hard technologies NG-ULTRA that embeds a R52 quad-core ARM-based MPSoC and the largest space FPGA.
The OBC-core constitutes, together with the modular Avionics Centralized Electronics and High Power Unit, the backbone of Thales Alenia Space future avionics.

The Airbus Next Generation Solar Array (NGSA) is based on a hybrid solar array concept which combines rigid backbone panels with lightweight semi-rigid lateral panels. This ARTES 5.2 project covers the low TRL development activities for the main components of the new Solar Array layout, such as mechanical components to accommodate and release the semi-rigid substrates, semi-rigid PVA design, system level design and analyses as well as the design and engineering testing of the panel stack.

VIBeS project addressed the design, prototyping and validation of Virtual PEP agents to efficiently support the satellite-terrestrial convergence in upcoming 5G scenarios. The proposed approach leverages both NFV technology and cutting-edge web protocols. To assess the proposed solutions, a highly configurable Proof-of-Concept testbed was developed and tailored for the experimentation of broadband services aligned with 5G use-cases and verticals.

Development, manufacturing and testing of an Engineering Model of a compact AFSIW four channels Ku-band input multiplexer for broadband applications.

In HENCSAT we have developed a novel concept based on bit-torrent and network coding technologies that provides more resilient networking that can be loaded closer to its full capacity.

HENCSAT empowered the study and testing of robust and powerful networking over heterogeneous satellite and radio links in potentially difficult mobile scenarios where packet loss and interruptions may occur. By applying Network Coding in combination with novel resource management significant improvements can be obtained over traditional approaches. Application areas include aerial, vehicular and maritime users with sources like photos, video and other critical data. The focus was specifically on video over multiple networks.

Thales Alenia Space is a major player in the LEO, MEO, HEO GEO, L2 or interplanetary satellite industry and has therefore a large background in systems and subsystems definition.

In particular, Thales Alenia Space is developing a new product line of geostationary telecommunication satellites, Spacebus NEO, more and more powerful where harness accommodation is already challenging.

The study of a new harness architecture based on a large flexible printed circuit board, associated connectors, intelligent connectors integrating multiplexing and demultiplexing functions will ease the harness accommodation for telecommunications payloads.

The project consists in advanced activities paving the way to NewSpace equipment, intended to cover the platform needs in terms of electronics. The key success factors are a drastic reduction of recurrent price and mass of the equipment based on three pillars : integration & standardization, low cost components and innovative technologies.

The mission of RHEA Cyber Security Centre of Excellence is to develop supporting technologies enabling agile and effective cyber-security services, including education and training, operations, research, experimentation, test & evaluation, supporting the needs of the European space community as well as the wider aerospace, humanitarian, critical infrastructure, and defence & security communities.

Design, development and demonstration of innovative gateway and user terminal prototypes enabling a vast variety of Internet of Things (IoT) use cases and able to efficiently provide bi-directional Machine-to-Machine (M2M) services in GEO and non-GEO scenarios for both fixed and mobile applications.

This activity aims to develop Engineering Models of fast locking connectors for cable assemblies compatible with standard SMA Jack connectors.

The objective is to identify on-board transmitter and receiver technologies that enable two-way VHF data exchange via Low Earth Orbit Satellite, according to the emerging VDES specifications.

The satellite broadcast market is under pressure. OTT is taking market share from DTH. Density and ease of use is more and more a requirement. However, there are opportunities for innovative products that support the high-level quality standards of the satellite broadcast market as well as the upcoming OTT market.

The project’s outcomes deals with the design, implementation and validation of a satellite gateway able to receive and manage the traffic transmitted by a large population of terminals asynchronously transmitting short messages with low duty cycle via a satellite communication channel.

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.

The M2M market is increasing fast and more bandwidth is required. Ku-band M2M services can offer this bandwidth but require low-cost front-end components to be accepted by the market. The SiGeM2M project is demonstrating the implementation of the complete front-end transmitter functionality in a low-cost and low-power SiGe RF IC.

The project studies applications of dynamic spectrum management techniques to Satellite communications, with the goal of quantifying the potential improvement in spectrum utilization that can be achieved by applying collaborative and dynamic spectrum allocation techniques.

Telco EGSE TMTC SCOE: Cost effective COTS HW elements and highly customizable SW layer for implementation of baseband TM/TC interfaces and related functions.
Telco EGSE Power SCOE: Implementation in UniverSAS® (existing product) of some specific enhancements identified for Power SCOEs tailored for Telecom Satellites. UniverSAS® product was already
successfully validated in over 50 Power and Launch SCOE systems.

Design and development of a prototype of a low profile aeronautical dual frequency band antenna designed for both Aeronautical Mobile Satellite (Route) Service (AMS(R)S) air-traffic management and other existing aircraft applications.

CODYSUN aims at investigating the benefits of new, forward looking dynamic spectrum access techniques, over currently existing methods to share spectrum among satellite services.

Development of a Heat Controlled Accumulator (HCA) for two-phase Mechanically Pumped Loops. The HCA is apart from an expansion vessel also able to control the evaporation temperature of the MPL P/L heat exchangers.

R3 IoT are an end to end sensor-to-cloud solutions company differentiated by its satellite-enabled smart gateway. With 90% of the planet not serviced by communications infrastructure the system allows companies with remote operations to gain insight and improve operations.
This project is developing the next generation of R3 technology, integrating new strategic technologies, improving the value-adding capabilities of our demonstrated service, and preparing for large-scale deployments around the world.

This project is aimed at the development of low-profile and low-cost hybrid mechanical-electronic steerable antenna concepts that will allow reception of the signal transmitted by Ku-band geostationary satellites to cars and other vehicles.

The purpose of the project is to perform a study on the Integration of Satellite Backhauled HAPS in Future SATCOM Networks. The project starts with a case selection and scenario definition, followed by a suitability analysis, identification of necessary adaptations on 5G and development and validation of the adaptations. The project ends with the conclusions, roadmap and recommendations.

Using three proofs-of-concept this project shows how the application of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence techniques in the domain of satellite communications can offer improved performance and reduced operations costs.