Digital enablers and building blocks for collaborative Earth Observation and Satellite telecommunications 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 focusses on the Low to Mid TRL level developments of key technologies[1] required to strengthen competitiveness in these domains with a dedicated focus on synergies between Earth observation and Satellite telecommunication technologies.

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

• 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.

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 increased robustness, energy efficient connectivity and compatibility with 5G & 6G waveforms such as constellation and network software management systems and optical communications, including both space and ground-based assets, and digital on-ground infrastructure to test and enhance operational efficiency;
• R&I on building blocks and processes common to EO and SatCom systems allowing for in-orbit reconfigurability, faster data availability, on-board and on-ground smart computing and improved operation resilience.

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

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). 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.

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/)