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Satellite Communications (SatCom) play an essential role in ensuring continuity in a wide range of governmental missions, supporting the operations of key infrastructure as well as being an essential tool for the Crisis management and Surveillance missions– especially when terrestrial networks are not available or are not sufficiently secure. That’s why, in today’s volatile geopolitical landscape, having access to robust, assured satellite communications is of utmost importance. It was against this background that EUSPA hosted the very first SatCom Downstream Days. Over 100 industry players participated in the event, which was held at EUSPA headquarters in Prague. 

“SatCom is a key domain for Europe. Its contribution is not only crucial for the economy but it is also supporting the other space segments transversally and securely. Together with the other components of the EU Space Programme, it will contribute to ensuring the EU’s strategic autonomy,” says EUSPA Executive Director Rodrigo da Costa.

Featuring a range of engaging panel discussions led by governmental users and industry representatives, the event helped facilitate open dialogue between end users (Member States, EU Agencies) and European SatCom downstream industry players. It was also a chance to reflect on current challenges and propose innovative solutions, such as the 14 downstream applications pitched by innovative SatCom companies.   

Key takeaways from these discussions include the need to combine the benefits of multiple orbits (LEO, MEO and GEO) and the ability to deploy SatCom services swiftly and securely beyond terrestrial connection points as well as seamlessly integrate SatCom solutions with terrestrial based connectivity. Representatives from the European Commission specifically highlighted how standardisation and interoperability among terrestrial and satellite communication networks will influence the development of SatCom applications.

Secure SatCom in action

Participants were also treated to demonstrations of secured SatCom use cases by the EU-funded ENTRUSTED project.  

Established to provide a concrete set of governmental user requirements for GOVSATCOM services, representatives from the project demonstrated how users can benefit from the secure and interoperable services the programme will provide. The demos included pooling and sharing capabilities, access to telecommunication services in remote areas, and the confidentiality, integrity and availability offered by secure and highly secure SatCom services. 

The ENTRUSTED project has consolidated hundreds SatCom user needs and requirements, defined 85 governmental use cases and conducted an in-depth assessment of the user technology needs that the forthcoming GOVSATCOM and IRIS² programmes will cover.

Presentations from the 1^st SatCom Downstream Days can be found here.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the EUSPA website (http://www.euspa.europa.eu).

Space traffic is a pressing issue. With over 20.000 satellites expected to be launched in the next decade, various orbits are becoming increasingly congested. The situation is especially pronounced in Low Earth Orbit (LEO).  

The abundance of satellites is not only responsible for "an unprecedented space traffic jam".  It is also the cause of a large amount of space debris, or ‘’junk’’, which is increasing at an alarming rate. According to the Directorate General for Defence Industry and Space (DG DEFIS), over 1 million debris items larger than 1cm are currently orbiting the Earth.

When we talk about space debris, we often refer to large objects, such as dead satellites, that have either failed or not been moved to their designated ‘’graveyard orbit’’. But space debris can also be any manmade object in space, ranging from small cables and screws that have fallen off a rocket to actual rocket components. While some debris (in LEO) may re-enter the atmosphere after some years and burn up, large part will remain in orbit for hundreds, or even thousands of years. 

Space debris can go on to cause further damage, potentially taking out functioning satellites. What’s more, the collision of space debris with satellites, operational or not, creates even more debris, thus further aggravating the problem.

In summer 2016, Copernicus Sentinel-1A satellite was hit by a millimetre-size particle in orbit causing only minor damage to one of the solar panels, fortunately not affecting the satellite’s performance. 

The damages caused by larger pieces of debris to any navigation, communications and Earth Observation satellites could be irreversible and the repercussions will certainly affect us, end users down on Earth.

Before and after debris impacted the Sentinel-1A solar panel. Credits: European Space Agency (ESA)

Towards a unified approach in Space Traffic Management 

As both space debris and congestion jeopardise the operation and security of the EU’s and Member States’ space assets, such as Galileo, Copernicus and EGNOS, the European Commission recently proposed an EU integrated approach to Space Traffic Management (EU STM). This holistic approach will secure long-term viability of space activities by ensuring that space remains a sustainable, safe and secure environment encompassing the means and the rules to access, conduct activities in, and return from outer space safely, sustainably and securely.

"It is of a geostrategic question to be able to monitor autonomously space and enhance our collective situational awareness of threats to European or national Space assets," remarked Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton during the European Space Conference in 2023. 

To ensure the adequate protection of its satellite infrastructure, the European Union has been relying on EU Space Surveillance and Tracking (EU SST) Partnership, which is the main operational pillar of STM. 

The EU SST Partnership operates a network of ground-based sensors capable of surveying and tracking space objects, together with processing capabilities aiming to provide data, information and services on space objects that orbit the Earth.

Today, EU SST provides collision avoidance services to more than 390 satellites distributed in Low Earth Orbit, Medium Earth Orbit and Geostationary Orbit using Member States’ civil and military assets that remain under the control of its Member States.

EUSPA to support the EU Space Traffic Management

As part of its expanded role in the Union Space Programme, and its expertise in service provision and security issues management, EUSPA will take responsibility for the Space Surveillance and Tracking (SST) service provision Front Desk as of July 1st, 2023. 

"The EU SST Front Desk is a key interface for the delivery of SST information and services, including activities related to user coordination, service performance," says EUSPA Executive Director, Rodrigo da Costa. "Additionally, the SST Front Desk will be engaging with users and promoting the use of the SST services to further support the future of STM in the EU," he concludes. 

The visit of the EU SST partnership Member States to EUSPA took place in this context, gathering all the representatives for a presentation of EUSPA and an exchange of views on future work.

"We are very pleased to visit EUSPA in Prague and we look forward to working with our future EU SST service provision front desk to support our growing user community" declared Pascal Faucher, Chairman, European Union Space Surveillance and Tracking Partnership, Defense and security, CNES. The responsibility is currently being transferred from the European Satellite Centre (SatCen), who currently operates the service, to EUSPA’s Galileo Security Monitoring Centre (GSMC) in Madrid.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the EUSPA website (http://www.euspa.europa.eu).

Space traffic is a pressing issue. With over 20.000 satellites expected to be launched in the next decade, various orbits are becoming increasingly congested. The situation is especially pronounced in Low Earth Orbit (LEO).  

The abundance of satellites is not only responsible for "an unprecedented space traffic jam".  It is also the cause of a large amount of space debris, or ‘’junk’’, which is increasing at an alarming rate. According to the Directorate General for Defence Industry and Space (DG DEFIS), over 1 million debris items larger than 1cm are currently orbiting the Earth.

When we talk about space debris, we often refer to large objects, such as dead satellites, that have either failed or not been moved to their designated ‘’graveyard orbit’’. But space debris can also be any manmade object in space, ranging from small cables and screws that have fallen off a rocket to actual rocket components. While some debris (in LEO) may re-enter the atmosphere after some years and burn up, large part will remain in orbit for hundreds, or even thousands of years. 

Space debris can go on to cause further damage, potentially taking out functioning satellites. What’s more, the collision of space debris with satellites, operational or not, creates even more debris, thus further aggravating the problem.

In summer 2016, Copernicus Sentinel-1A satellite was hit by a millimetre-size particle in orbit causing only minor damage to one of the solar panels, fortunately not affecting the satellite’s performance. 

The damages caused by larger pieces of debris to any navigation, communications and Earth Observation satellites could be irreversible and the repercussions will certainly affect us, end users down on Earth.

Before and after debris impacted the Sentinel-1A solar panel. Credits: European Space Agency (ESA)

Towards a unified approach in Space Traffic Management 

As both space debris and congestion jeopardise the operation and security of the EU’s and Member States’ space assets, such as Galileo, Copernicus and EGNOS, the European Commission recently proposed an EU integrated approach to Space Traffic Management (EU STM). This holistic approach will secure long-term viability of space activities by ensuring that space remains a sustainable, safe and secure environment encompassing the means and the rules to access, conduct activities in, and return from outer space safely, sustainably and securely.

"It is of a geostrategic question to be able to monitor autonomously space and enhance our collective situational awareness of threats to European or national Space assets," remarked Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton during the European Space Conference in 2023. 

To ensure the adequate protection of its satellite infrastructure, the European Union has been relying on EU Space Surveillance and Tracking (EU SST) Partnership, which is the main operational pillar of STM. 

The EU SST Partnership operates a network of ground-based sensors capable of surveying and tracking space objects, together with processing capabilities aiming to provide data, information and services on space objects that orbit the Earth.

Today, EU SST provides collision avoidance services to more than 390 satellites distributed in Low Earth Orbit, Medium Earth Orbit and Geostationary Orbit using Member States’ civil and military assets that remain under the control of its Member States.

EUSPA to support the EU Space Traffic Management

As part of its expanded role in the Union Space Programme, and its expertise in service provision and security issues management, EUSPA will take responsibility for the Space Surveillance and Tracking (SST) service provision Front Desk as of July 1st, 2023. 

"The EU SST Front Desk is a key interface for the delivery of SST information and services, including activities related to user coordination, service performance," says EUSPA Executive Director, Rodrigo da Costa. "Additionally, the SST Front Desk will be engaging with users and promoting the use of the SST services to further support the future of STM in the EU," he concludes. 

The visit of the EU SST partnership Member States to EUSPA took place in this context, gathering all the representatives for a presentation of EUSPA and an exchange of views on future work.

"We are very pleased to visit EUSPA in Prague and we look forward to working with our future EU SST service provision front desk to support our growing user community" declared Pascal Faucher, Chairman, European Union Space Surveillance and Tracking Partnership, Defense and security, CNES. The responsibility is currently being transferred from the European Satellite Centre (SatCen), who currently operates the service, to EUSPA’s Galileo Security Monitoring Centre (GSMC) in Madrid.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the EUSPA website (http://www.euspa.europa.eu).