Digital Solutions For Autonomy For Space Transportation Systems, Design And Simulation Tools - Digital Enablers And Building Blocks (Space Partnership)

Today, EU citizens enjoy watching satellite TV, increasingly accurate global navigation services for all transport modes and users, extended Earth monitoring for land, marine, atmosphere and climate change, global meteorological observation and accurate cartographies of a wide number of variables. Space also makes important contributions to security crisis management and emergency services. The EU Space Programme components (such as EGNSS and Copernicus) are key assets for the EU policies on climate, environment, transport, agriculture and secure society. Finally, the Space sector is a source of economic growth and jobs.

This Destination is structured along the following building blocks:

• Accessing Space, i.e. the ability to transport satellites, cargo, and humans into space; build and launch the required vehicles, including re-usable systems; and operate the related facilities and services.
• Using Space on Earth, i.e. the ability to provide space-based secure communication, navigation and Earth observation services and applications, including through the EU Space flagships Galileo, Copernicus and IRIS².
• Monitoring Space, i.e. the ability to detect, track and anticipate the trajectory of spacecraft, Near-Earth objects, and space debris during their full lifetime; to share data with relevant stakeholders; and to provide solutions for safe international space traffic management. It also includes the tracking and anticipation of other impacts on the space environment, such as Space weather events.
• Acting in Space, i.e. the ability to inspect, rendezvous and dock, grasp, repair, refuel, reconfigure, build, assemble and disassemble, reuse/recycle, relocate, remove and transport operational, non-operational, and other objects in space, including platforms or larger structures.
• Exploring Space, i.e. the ability to conduct high profile space exploration activities, perform excellent science and exploit space data to increase our knowledge about the Universe and celestial bodies, with a view to their exploration for scientific and socio-economic benefits.
• Boosting Space, i.e. the ability to sustain the above strategic capabilities through fostering the competitiveness of the EU space sector; improving education and developing the required skills; accelerating the pace of innovation; supporting EU non-dependency on critical technologies; and strengthening international cooperation.

Those building blocks are implemented through the following headings:

• Heading 1: Accessing Space

Autonomous access to space is a prerequisite for the strategic autonomy of the EU. It is a key enabler and indispensable element in the space ecosystem and value chain. European launch systems allow the autonomous deployment of satellites for the Union’s flagships Copernicus, Galileo/EGNOS and IRIS² and contribute to the security and resilience of Europe’s sovereign space infrastructure.

In a context of fierce competition and launch services paradigm changes, ensuring that Europe improves the resilience and the cost-effectiveness of its autonomous access to space is crucial. This requires urgent activities to enable and further consolidate operational capacities before 2030 in line with the Strategic R&I Agenda for EU-funded Space research supporting competitiveness adopted in 2020.

This challenge will be tackled by fostering space transportation solutions through the support to building blocks for smart technologies and digital solutions and through facilitating access to European spaceports.

• Heading 2: Acting in Space

In-Space Operations and Services (ISOS) will ensure EU’s freedom of action in space and increase the resilience, sustainability, safety and protection of its space infrastructure, and contribute to the strengthening of the competitiveness of its space sector. R&I activities should bring Europe to the forefront of emerging service applications, including inspection, rendezvous and docking, grasping, repair, reconfiguration, assembly and disassembly, manufacturing, resource extraction, reuse/recycling, removal and transport of objects in space, for satellites, platforms and larger structures. Key space R&I activities will be driven by a pilot mission that will contribute to establish and foster a new in-space economy.

Game-changing innovations and enabling technologies are at the heart of ISOS and an important focus of future actions. The paradigm shift towards adaptive space systems builds on automation and robotics, artificial intelligence, modular and reconfigurable spacecraft concepts. Together with other enabling technologies such as electric propulsion, intelligent mechanisms and interfaces or advanced GNC, they will provide new ways on how space assets are designed, produced, tested, transported, and operated. Different means realised with AppStore-like approaches will benefit the future space ecosystem and foster a circular economy.

• Heading 3: Using Space on Earth related to telecommunications

The Union Secure Connectivity programme aims to develop a secure and autonomous space-based connectivity system for the provision of guaranteed and resilient satellite communications on Earth. Among the objectives are to develop, build and operate a multiorbital space-based state-of-the-art connectivity system, continuously adapted to governmental satellite communications demand evolution; to complement the Union pool of satellite communication capacities and services; and to integrate the GOVSATCOM ground segment infrastructure, as well as the European quantum communication infrastructure (EuroQCI).

In the context of the co-Programmed European Partnership for Globally Competitive Space Systems (Space Partnership), R&I will focus on cohesive activities in the domain of digital developments under the grand heading of Digitalisation for Commercial Space solutions, more specifically on collaborative and synergetic solutions for Earth Observation and Satellite Telecommunication missions.

• Heading 4: Using Space on Earth related to Earth Observation

The evolution of Copernicus core services (Climate Change, Marine Environment Monitoring, Land Monitoring, Atmosphere Monitoring, Emergency Management and Security) is being taken care of through projects launched under the previous R&I work programmes.

In the context of the co-Programmed European Partnership for Globally Competitive Space Systems (Space Partnership), R&I will focus on cohesive activities in the domain of digital developments under the grand heading of Digitalisation for Commercial Space solutions, more specifically on collaborative and synergetic solutions for Earth Observation and Satellite Telecommunication missions.

In addition, we will strive to also support the development of innovative applications of Copernicus’ services and data. That said, such support is also coming from non-HE activities carried out by EUSPA, the EU agency for the Space Programme: collaboration with receivers’ manufacturers, with mobile phones’ manufacturers, with cars’ manufacturers, etc., as well as through influencing the development of policies where the use of Earth Observation data is required.

• Heading 5: Using Space on Earth related to satellite navigation

For Galileo/EGNOS, the international context, the competitive environment with emerging actors including from the private sector, novel techniques in the value chain such as LEO layer for PNT or ground segment automation based on Artificial Intelligence, the increasing threats in space and in cyber, and the evolution of the technologies, components and systems, call for a constant adaptation of the EU space infrastructure to these changing realities.

To meet these challenges, EU needs sustained investments in R&D for innovative mission concepts, technology and systems. These will ensure the continuity of the EGNSS service, minimise the risks for technology inclusion in the infrastructure, thanks to anticipated development and testing including in-orbit, and protect better this infrastructure against modern threats (notably cyber, jamming/spoofing, natural hazards).

These investments in R&D will contribute to maintaining the EU´s leadership position in the Global Navigation Satellite Systems, and to strengthening the strategic autonomy of the EU.

In addition, we will strive to also support the development of innovative applications of EGNSS’ services and data. That said, such support is also coming from non-HE activities carried out by EUSPA, the EU agency for the Space Programme: collaboration with receivers’ manufacturers, with mobile phones’ manufacturers, with cars’ manufacturers, etc., as well as through influencing the development of policies where the use of satellite navigation data is required.

• Heading 6: Space sciences and exploration

Space sciences and exploration are important areas that must be fostered for various reasons, focusing on where the EU can add value with limited financial means. Firstly, it is key to capitalise on Europe’s investments in space missions and exploit data coming from European space missions (including demonstration and validation). This should lay the grounds for future exploration missions. Furthermore, such focus on sciences will strengthen the position of leading European scientists and also animate societal interest in space. Last but not least, it will expand human knowledge and the natural curiosity of mankind.

• Heading 7: Monitoring Space

Orbital space infrastructure, the data, and the services they deliver have become indispensable for European societies and economies and in the daily lives of Europeans. However, due to an increasingly congested orbital space, the likelihood of a satellite being severely damaged or destroyed in a collision has raised dramatically. Such risk calls for action to preserve European interests by protecting its private and public investments in space in a sustainable manner.

Based on the EU Space Programme, capabilities of the Space Situational Awareness (SSA) component and Space Surveillance and Tracking (SST) services are being developed and consolidated through a Partnership of 15 Member States. The EU SST Partnership Agreement has entered into force on 11 November 2022. With this Partnership, EU SST builds on the good results achieved by the initial consortium of 5 Member States and targets continuity of activities and service provision, improvement of specialisation on expertise, and consideration of the duality and security dimension of SST.

EU SST relies on the European industry, including start-ups, to develop and improve national, public-owned capacities based on Partnership’s requirements. In the pursuit of EU strategic autonomy, both as regards the need to protect EU space infrastructures and as regards the need to strengthen EU SST capabilities, research and development activities are aiming the enhancement and consolidation of EU SST autonomy in all orbital zones beyond the existing network of national assets, counting on MS contributions and leveraging complementary contributions from European private capabilities and commercial initiatives.

Importantly, SSA also covers the domains of Space Weather (SW) and Near-Earth Objects (NEO). For those domains, activities are ongoing and no additional ones are needed under the 2026-2027 WP.

• Heading 8: Boosting space through EU non-dependence for key critical space technologies

Ensuring non-dependence for critical space technologies is key, especially in the current geo-political context. The European Commission has undertaken several activities and deployed new tools (e.g. the EU Observatory of Critical Technologies) for assessing space technologies and identify those that are critical from a dependency point of view. Within this domain, a number of technological developments will be initiated with focus on priorities stemming from on-going and planned EU Space missions, including IRIS². Emphasis will be on reducing non-EU dependencies on critical space technologies across their whole supply chain from advanced materials to components, equipment, and sub-systems; providing unrestricted access to advanced space technologies relevant for EU space missions and programme components; developing or regaining capacity to operate independently in space by developing resilient space technologies supply chains, relying on EU supply chains and/or trustable and reliable supply chains not affected by non-EU export restrictions; enhancing competitiveness by developing products and capabilities reaching equivalent or superior performance level than those from outside the EU and compete at worldwide level; and opening new opportunities for manufacturers by reducing dependency on export restricted technologies.

• Heading 9: Boosting Space through innovative space technologies

Mastering quantum technologies is essential for EU technological sovereignty and their use in EU space missions will offer major improvements in the performance of the EU space systems. Their developments will contribute to EU leadership in this field, in particular quantum sensing technology based on quantum accelerometers, developed in the frame of the Quantum Space Gravimetry pathfinder mission.

• Heading 10: Boosting Space through IOD/IOV opportunities

IOD/IOV opportunities continue to be needed for experiments needing aggregation as well as for read-to-fly satellites. This includes the Flight Ticket Initiative to support competitiveness and innovation of the European Space sector.

• Heading 11: Boosting Space through support to entrepreneurship

Business development, acceleration and upscaling of start-ups is also much needed, which has given rise to the set-up of the CASSINI Space Entrepreneurship Initiative. CASSINI provides support to business and innovation-friendly ecosystems, including the strengthening business skills in the space market segments and digital services based on space data. CASSINI also aims at making start-ups and scale-ups investment-ready and able to secure venture capital funding and at leveraging synergies with the InvestEU programme and the EU Space Programme.

• Heading 12: Boosting Space through support to the Space Act and cybersecurity

The interinstitutional discussions for the adoption of an EU Space Act will start as soon as the Commission has issued its proposal still in 2025. One adopted, it will be important to foresee some studies and assimilated activities to support its implementation. The same goes for the area of cybersecurity which has become extremely important also in the Space domain.

Limiting participation in certain actions to Member States (and certain associated countries to Horizon Europe)

The Space research part of the Horizon Europe Programme is by default open to the world, promoting international cooperation to drive scientific excellence.

However, an important aspect of this Destination consists in ensuring security and strengthening strategic autonomy across key technologies and value chains, taking advantage of the possibilities that space offers for the security of the Union and its Member States. This objective requires special rules in specific cases to set the requisite eligibility and participation conditions to ensure the protection of the integrity, security and resilience of the Union and its Member States. Hence, on an exceptional basis and duly justified, this work programme may foresee a limited participation to entities from selected countries. Such exceptional circumstances would relate to prevalent considerations to safeguard the Union’s strategic assets, interests, autonomy or security. Possibilities for such limitations are framed by Article 22(5) of the Horizon Europe Regulation.

Legal entities established in China are not eligible to participate in both Research and Innovation Actions (RIAs) and Innovation Actions (IAs) falling under this Destination. For additional information please see “Restrictions on the participation of legal entities established in China” found in General Annex B of the General Annexes.

The following call(s) in this work programme contribute to this destination:

HORIZON-CL4-2026-03-SPACE

HORIZON-CL4-2027-03-SPACE

HORIZON-CL4-2027-EUSPA-SPACE

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