Digital enablers and building-blocks for Earth Observation and Satellite telecommunication for Space solutions (Space Partnership)

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”.

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 focus on the fast increment of the Low to Mid TRL level building blocks for key technologies[1] required to strengthen competitiveness in these domains.

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

• New commercial services and applications enabled by increased digitalisation of space solutions;
• Favouring a competitive and sustainable European Space Sector;
• Enable the European Space Industry to maintain a significant share of the global connectivity market;
• Next generation Earth observation and SatCom payloads, technologies and processing means (on ground and in space);
• Security of SatCom and EO services, supporting next-generation technologies for both ground and space commercial applications;
• Improved access to satellite data through interoperable systems.

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 for current and future satellite networks interoperability including both space and ground-based assets, and digital on-ground infrastructure to test and enhance operational efficiency;
• R&I on Earth Observation equipment, subsystems, applications and services, improving the End-to-End timeliness of an EO system and enhanced resolution, miniaturisation of instrument designs and digital techniques and technologies to support operations and harmonisation enabling interoperability among multiple EO missions;
• R&I on building blocks and processes common to EO and SatCom systems, such system resources usage optimisation, high-performance processing payload H/W to support space network capabilities including an improvement in downlink and tasking capabilities of the European infrastructure, RF and optical hybrid ground stations for anchoring services and quantum technologies adaptation for space application.

Proposals may contribute to one or more of the above R&I areas, however the main area addressed must 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.

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.

Technology Readiness Level - Technology readiness level expected from completed projects

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.

[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/)