Preparing Demonstration Missions For Earth Observation And Satellite Telecommunication For Space Solutions (Space Partnership)

The topic encompasses actions within the scope of the co-programmed European Partnership on Globally Competitive Space Systems (‘Space Partnership’) in the areas of satellite communication (SatCom), Earth Observation (EO) and New Commercial Space Transportation Solutions and is part of cohesive activities in the domain of digital developments under the grand heading of “digitalisation for commercial space solutions”.

Digitalisation is a major enabler for enhancing the value of an End-to-End EO and SatCom system. Under the area of Using Space on Earth related to SatCom and EO, below this topic focusses on the Mid to High TRL level developments of key technologies^[1] required to strengthen competitiveness in these domains, contributing to the preparation of EO and SatCom demonstration missions.

Projects are expected to contribute to one or several of the following outcomes:

• Favouring a competitive and sustainable European Space Sector;
• Enable the European Space Industry to maintain a significant share of the global connectivity market;
• Advanced Earth observation and SatCom payloads, technologies and processing means (on ground and in space);
• Advanced EO and SatCom fostering AI across space system;
• Enhanced security of SatCom and EO services, supporting advanced technologies for both ground and space commercial applications;
• End-to-end demonstrator for collaborative Earth Observation and Satellite telecommunication for Space solutions.

This will contribute to developing, deploying global, more flexible and reactive space-based services applications, to contribute to fostering the EU's space sector competitiveness, as stated in the expected impact of this destination.

The areas of R&I, which needs to be addressed to tackle the above-mentioned expected outcomes are:

• R&I on End-to-End SatCom Mission capabilities, secure SatCom services and satellites as network nodes in a distributed system, radio-frequency payloads, flexible and modular testbed for complex satcom system architectures to assess performances, testbed for processing RF signal directly onboard the spacecraft, compatibility of the different elements and operations concepts;
• R&I on LEO or VLEO earth observation equipment, subsystems, applications and services enabling real time reaction (e.g. use cases requiring low latency), on on-board processing to optimize EO missions’ performance or timeliness, EO ground segment interfaces and data flow standardisation and adoption, smart multi-source EO intelligence information fusion also on ground;
• R&I on synergetic technologies, building blocks and processes with applicability across both EO and SatCom next generation operation systems such as operational optimisation for increasing lifetime, design optimisation for increasing efficiency and advanced techniques for large system of systems or multi-mission operation optimisation, as well as tip & cue demonstration combining RF and EO using inter-satellite links (including optical).

Developments should aim at EO and Telecom technologies on-ground in relevant environment and in orbit software demonstration when flight is feasible and adding value focusing on software and digital tools (e.g. algorithms, functions).

Proposals may contribute to one or more of the above R&I areas, however the main area addressed should be clearly and unambiguously identified in the proposal text.

Proposals are expected to promote cooperation between different actors (industry, SMEs, research institutions and infrastructures and academia) and consider opportunities to quickly turn technological innovation into commercial use in space via e.g., on-ground relevant environment or in orbit demonstration.

It is expected that projects make use of existing EU technologies and/or building blocks, including at component level, contributing to EU non-dependence and strengthen competitiveness, and this should be clearly presented in the proposal. Furthermore, proposed activities should be complementary to H2020 and Horizon Europe funded projects, national activities and activities funded by the European Space Agency (ESA).

This topic contributes to the implementation of the European Partnership on ‘Globally Competitive Space Systems’ (GCSS).

In this topic, the integration of the gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) in research and innovation content should be addressed only if relevant in relation to the objectives of the research effort.

[1] Identified in the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) of the co-Programmed European Partnership on Globally Competitive Space Systems (https://www.space-aisbl.org/sria/)