Preparing demonstration missions for collaborative Earth Observation and Satellite telecommunication for Space solutions (Space Partnership) is an open funding call implemented as a IA. The indicative budget is €26M million.
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, and digital on-ground infrastructure to test and enhance operational efficiency;
R&I on Earth Observation equipment, subsystems, applications and services, improving data processing for performance or timeliness, smart multi-sources EO data fusion, fostering interoperability among EO missions, miniaturisation of instrument designs and EO ground segment interfaces, digitalised technology steps such as high-performance cloud-based architectures and active and adaptative optics and/or higher-power electronics;
R&I on building blocks and processes common to EO and SatCom systems, such as on-board processing capabilities, maturing high performance processing payload H/W to support space network capabilities and reducing environmental impact of future missions, maturation of technologies and products improving system security and threats identification, characterization and possible mitigation and RF and optical hybrid ground stations for anchoring services.
Proposals may contribute to one or more of the above R&I areas, however the main area addressed are expected to 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.
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”.
