Projects

The feasibility study of VDES satellite component system consisted in exploring user needs and required services, defining satellite technical solutions in response of the user needs and performing trade-off analyses of the satellite technical solutions.

The project demonstrates that the DVB-S2X standard can be a common technology enabler for land-mobile, aeronautical, and maritime satellite services, in addition to the fixed VSAT. The reference design implements novel features such as super-frame format #3, a robust synchronization chain, signal predistortion, and a convolutional interleaver. The test system can operate down to -6 dB SNR.

Identification and verification of an advanced manufacturing technique capable of processing a propellant-compatible material for the production of space grade bellows.

The activity is aimed at design and prototyping of a novel wideband flexible front-end, capable to appropriately down convert, digitise and process a single or multiple input IF carriers with a (aggregate) bandwidth of up to 500 MHz.

This project investigates the possibility of providing a generic mixer system that is capable of offering a versatile downconverter for a front end system. This in the sense that a multitude of frequency bands can be dealt with using just one component. It comes in contrast to the use of a dedicated/custom system for each one of the bands.

The objective of this project was the design and breadboarding of a single ground station terminal antenna able to track two simultaneous satellites in MEO orbit allowing the handover process.

ADS for antennas.
The A-ADS system enables the deployment of satellite antennas with a large diameter and an extended focal length. The articulated (segmented) boom can be folded in several configurations on the spacecraft sidewall. Three hold-down points, based on similar technology as used on Airbus Defence and Space NL solar arrays (heritage of >500 releases with 100% success), will assure safe accommodation during launch and shock-free release in orbit.
The boom deploys by means of spring-driven hinges interconnected by means of synchronization cables, similar to solar arrays. The deployment speed is
controlled by an actuator. When fully deployed, the hinges are locked, providing a very stiff structure, essential for disturbance-free pointing of the antenna. The pitch-and-roll pointing mechanism (ADTM Mk2 gimbal by Airbus Defence and Space with over 23 in orbit), is located close to the reflector assuring high pointing accuracy.
The A-ADS has a modular design, which allows a wide range of mission configurations by tuning only a few design parameters. This approach in combination with the use of standard building blocks minimizes the non-recurring design effort for a specific application and allows any desired configuration. A special kinematic model is available to assess the design parameters of the A-ADS based on customer inputs.

Enhancing capacity and flexibility is one of the major challenges for new-generation of payloads. The interest of two major European Telecommunication Operators for these solutions has motivated the present study in order to define the possible Generic Payload Solutions in line with the Operator views and with the objective of taking benefit of their guidelines for the down-selection of preferred payload scenarios.

In order to reduce equipment cost a Breadboard LCAMP based on new and innovative technologies and equipment tuning is to be developed. Herby development activities are focused on three main issues:
1) Mixed Signal ASIC to achieve maximum integration of electrical components
2) LTCC technology including a cost- and time-minimized assembly process
3) Fully automated equipment tuning

The aim of the project is to define and qualified the PPU Mk3 to drive 5kW Hall Effect Thruster.

Development of an EQM Switch Module as part of a SMP concept intended to support a wide variety of telecoms and science missions using the next generation of deep sub-micron digital processing technology.

The NGSSN Project addresses the Governmental Satellite Communications (GOVSATCOM) scenario which is characterised by a new SATCOM service-class fitting between COMSATCOM services, not offering guarantees for robustness and sufficient availability, and MILSATCOM services, which are both too expensive and too difficult to implement for conventional use in low or medium intensity crises.

Due to the increasing market requirements for FSS and BSS services in Ku-band, Airbus decided to replace the over ten years successfully used Ortho Mode Transducers (OMT) by a set of new developed ones. Three new devices were designed, built and qualified for space application. These products cover all demands with respect to frequency band, polarisation, RF power and performance.

The European Space Agency (ESA) and Dublin City University have joined forces to establish a Satcom IoT ‘Maker Space’, which will support the development of innovative Machine-to -Machine (M2M) and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies for satellite communications.

This project analyses and characterises cost-effectiveness of broadband solutions involving satellite systems vs. terrestrial-only architecture. Reference network architecture designs targeting end users in rural areas are based on three geo-economic regions, supported by a numerical and visualisation tool to elaborate sample test cases and a pilot measurement campaign to assess the broadband quality of the satellite solution.

Govsatcom services shall be provided to European Public Safety entities thanks to different means : classic commercial services, adequate procurement schemes to ensure immediate and guarantee access on either commercial assets or governmental assets, or dedicated Govsatcom assets.

The aim of Securesat study is: first, to assess the Users and Mission requirements for Govsatcom communications, secondly to identify existing (or soon to be deployed) assets and adequate procurement models that can answer to these requirements,and then to identify the remaining gap and to define complementary new assets to fulfil the full set of requirements. The candidate solutions shall be evaluated through a trade-off to identify the best solutions (taking into account cost-effective parameters).
Among the future assets, the development that could be part of a precursor will be identified and a first design will be realised.

Sunsensor that can withstand both the heat and the cold associated with extendable solar panel mounting and exhibiting increased radiation tolerance so as to allow prolonged operation in or near the radiation belts.

The 2.5D technology for Slipring Assembly project has been performed
to demonstrate that a Slipring assembly based on 2.5D printed circuit
board (PCB) technology can replace in future space mechanisms the
currently used risky and costly concept.

Following key development activities in the on-board processing
converter product area have been performed:
- The development of a Ka to L Downconverter
- Development of converter multipliers MMICs.
- Market survey for commercial off the shelf MMIC image reject mixers (IRM).

In the frame of the contract 4000110670/14/NL/US a 100 Volt High torque Wheel Drive Electronic with analogue interface for a Reaction Wheel was qualified.
In the frame of this qualification, which was performed on Reaction Wheel Assembly level, several features of the heritage wheel drive electronics were improved and qualified.

Satellite systems have unique advantages for M2M/IoT such as broad coverage and connecting remote areas where there is no or limited terrestrial network infrastructure. Today’s M2M/IoT protocols work well in terrestrial settings, while their applicability for space communication systems has received little attention so far. This project analyses existing M2M/IoT protocols and investigates into possible improvements for satellite systems.

Magnitude Space is building a nano‐satellite platform to provide low‐cost IoT data connectivity for sensors globally. In an open development environment, sensors will be integrated with small transmission hardware to send small packets of data to a low‐cost cube-sat constellation and from there via ground stations to data servers at the customers’ premise.

In the frame of space debris mitigation, ESA has implemented new requirements and recommendations, which state that satellite propulsion systems shall be passivated at end of life. The main objective of the project is to develop a Gas Passivation Valve (GPV) to meet applicable passivation requirements related to the existing European Geostationary Telecoms platforms.

CAN bus has been used in automotive and industrial applications for years in complex systems that require demanding command and control performance. In space systems, the benefits of CAN bus have also been recognized: reducing the number of wires and weight along with lower power consumption and easier testability will result in major cost savings for spacecraft manufacturers. CAN bus is rapidly becoming an on-board standard command and control bus.

The SPECSI project examined the role of satellites in future communication networks and applications in 2020-25. It studied emerging ICT trends to identify future opportunities for satcom and their associated system propositions. The outputs of the study are designed to help ESA understand how the European and Canadian satellite industry can be best supported through its ARTES programme.

Two approaches were considered in the past for the long term evolution of the safety critical satcom for aviation: Purpose built system with custom air interface (ANTARES) and the incremental evolution of Inmarsat’s system and services (Iris Precursor, Iris Service Evolution). This study helps to converge the two approaches and find synergies.

The future generation of communication satellites will use multi-beam antennas providing wide-band two-ways communication applications. Active discrete lens antennas permit generating a multibeam coverage adopting only a single Tx/Rx aperture or two separated Tx and Rx apertures instead of the current solutions based on multi-reflector systems. Reduced volume and maximum EIRP flexibility over the service area are the main advantages of this alternative multibeam antenna. The
main criticalities of discrete lens antennas are associated with their mass, physical accommodation, power consumption and thermal control of the high power amplifiers. Reflector antennas exhibit some complementarity with respect to lens antennas: they guarantee a high gain but limited scanning capabilities. Combining a discrete lens with a reflector system would allow reducing the physical size of the lens itself, making it more
manageable with respect to the criticalities mentioned above, and at the same time reducing the limitations of reflector antenna systems.

The project aims at developing a testbed in software defined radio (SDR) to prove the feasibility of and measure the performance achievable in practice by the most promising among a set of advanced multiple access schemes for the return link of satellite communications networks

This project intends to demonstrate the attractiveness of optical distribution of RF/LO signals in terms of low mass, signal integrity and EMI immunity. A follow-on qualification program will further increase the TRL level of this implementation.

Trade-off on different autonomous orbit-determination solutions including GNSS and optical-based navigation, and a trade-off on different station keeping strategies, to define the global autonomous system best suited for chemical and for hybrid chemical/electrical Telecom platforms on geo-stationary orbit. The chosen solution is based on GNSS and on classical Station Keeping strategy.

Radiall has developed and qualified a new serie of TNC connectors under ARTES 5.1 and 3 contract. Radiall has qualified a complete range of TNC Very High Power connectors. 14 variants have been created and qualified, and three new ESCC detail specifications have been created.

The SB-SAT (Swift-Broadband for Satellites) spacecraft communications system is designed to enable continuous, near real-time communications between satellite operators and spacecraft in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The system eliminates the need for expensive new investment in dedicated ground-based communications infrastructure and greatly increases the operational capability of LEO spacecraft.

An end-to-end secure infrastructure for the delivery of collaborative multimedia services over integrated satellite-terrestrial networks

This newly developed generation of avionics for commercial geostationary communications satellites (SATCOM) achieves a significant reduction in cost while at the same time greater flexibility at system and operational level are reached.

The RAMSES (Roadmap for Advanced Mobile SatellitE Systems) project has been defined in order to contribute to the definition of roadmaps of new solutions – new technologies, new products – for the successful deployment of Next Generation Mobile Satellite Systems in the 2025 timeframe.

The Airbus DS GmbH LION Navigator is a multi-GNSS-constellation multi-frequency receiver for spacecraft that is space qualified for operation in low Earth orbits and in-tended for geosynchronous Earth orbits. The goal of the activity is to enlarge the application area of the LION Navigator to launch and early operation phases on transfer up to and including the nominal operation in geosynchronous orbit.

The project comprises investigation on how novel semiconductor technologies (GaN) can be used to meet demanding, future requirements on signal sources. The effort is divided in three consecutive technology steps. This first step include system definition, semiconductor technology trade-off and broadband VCO design including detailed PLL EM unit design. One PLL EM Unit has been built to show function and performance of the VCO.

In this project a secure multicast framework and architecture is defined on top of a multi-spot beam interactive satellite system, including the proposed application scenarios and use cases. A demonstrator is designed and developed to verify and demonstrate the defined secure multicast solution and proposed enhancements. Finally, implementation guidelines and standard evolution recommendation for the secure multicast satellite system are produced.

The project developed key technologies for UHD satellite broadcasting systems both for direct-to-home (DTH) services as well as for presenting live events in digital cinemas. It successfully developed and implemented a real-time encoder for High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) supporting High Dynamic Range video.

In the main study "Characterization of the Mobile Tracking Needs // ESA AO/1-6669/10/NL/NR" a measurement database was designed, developed and published. The database provides statistics of motion dynamics for mobile satellite terminals. The database (with access to industry residing within ESA member states) supports the design and testing of Satellite Communications On-The-Move (SOTM) tracking systems. The activity included a data gathering campaign and the development and population of a database.
In this Contract Change Notice (CCN) standard motion profiles are defined based on the full set of measurements (including new measurements). The motion profiles are included in the GVF-105 standard SOTM test recommendations and their usability and applicability were tested in a pilot test with a commercial SOTM terminal at the Fraunhofer IIS Facility for Over-the-air Research and Testing (FORTE).