Digital enablers and building blocks for Earth Observation and Satellite telecommunication for Space solutions

Expected Outcome

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”.

Under the area of Using Space on Earth related to SatCom and EO, below this topic focus on the fast increment of the Low to Mid TRL level building blocks for key technologies required to strengthen competitiveness in these domains. Digitalisation is a major enabler for enhancing the value of an End-to-End EO and SatCom system. For example, processing applied to multi-sensor data can significantly enhance the resolution of the final data set, and digital optimisation of the data flow directly improves the End-to-End timeliness of an EO system (from request to delivery). Lastly, the enhancement of End-to-End data resilience and integrity calls for digital technologies on-board and, on the ground.

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

• Enable the European Space Industry to maintain a significant share of the global connectivity market by increasing the performance of space satellite networks, new type of control, space and ground segments being fully integrated into the terrestrial networks;
• New commercial services and applications enabled by increased digitalisation of space solutions;
• Advanced Earth observation payloads, technologies and processing means (on ground and/or in space), for all types of observation missions.

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.

Scope

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 (e.g., satellite network interconnectivity, seamless integration into the terrestrial networks, taking into account and contributing to ongoing standardisation efforts, increased reactivity), strengthening efficient connectivity using various technologies (e.g. optical communication, Inter Satellite Links, reconfigurable payloads) and ensure compatibility and interoperability with 5G & 6G, and satellites as network nodes in a distributed system (e.g., ubiquitous use of orbital resources, distributed computing, embracing both ground and space), flexible and modular testbed prototype with representative building blocks for complex SatCom typologies, improve SatCom performances using innovative technologies (data fusion, user terminal development, new generation antennas, SDR payloads, exploitation of higher bands, etc).
• R&I on breakthrough harmonization enabling interoperability among multiple EO missions, breakthrough digitalized technology steps, such as AI algorithms, high performance cloud-based architectures, active and adaptive optics and/or higher power electronics (focal plane and RF back-ends and front-ends), mature (on-board and/or ground) digital techniques and technologies to support novel operational approaches, mature miniaturised instruments design - including their digitalized on-board processing electronics- fit for affordable EO constellations to address emerging markets;
• R&I on lower maturity building blocks and processes common to EO and SatCom systems, such as technologies and products improving system security and threats identification, resources usage optimization, tools to support the measure of key environmentally driven criteria through increased resource sharing, and maturation of high-performance processing payload H/W to support space network capabilities together with software functions to support reconfigurability, inter alia.

Proposals should address at least one of the areas outlined above.

Proposals are expected to promote cooperation between different actors (industry, SMEs and research institutions) and consider opportunities to quickly turn technological innovation into commercial use in space.

Proposals under this topic should explore synergies and be complementary to already funded actions in the context of technology development at component level, while still enabling new entrants and new approaches. In particular the topics: Critical Space Technologies for European non-dependence (HE H2020 SPACE-10-TEC-2018-2020, COMPET-1-2014-2015-2016-2017, HORIZON-CL4-2021-SPACE-01-81/ 2023-SPACE-01-72/ 2024-SPACE-01-73), satellite communication technologies (H2020 COMPET-2-2016, COMPET-3-2017, SPACE-15-TEC-2018, SPACE-29-TEC-2020, HORIZON-CL4-2021-SPACE-01-11), Earth Observation end-to-end technologies (HORIZON-CL4-2022-SPACE-01-13, HORIZON-CL4-2023-SPACE-01-11). It is expected that projects make use of existing European technologies and/or building blocks, including at component level, contributing to European 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 implements the co-programmed European Partnership on ‘Globally Competitive Space Systems’ (GCSS). As such, projects resulting from this topic will be expected to report on results to the European Partnership ‘Globally Competitive Space Systems’ (GCSS) in support of the monitoring of its KPIs.

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.

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Activities are expected to achieve TRL 4-5 by the end of the project. The reference TRL definition is the ISO 16290:2013 applicable to the space sector. Activities may start at any TRL.